Jounouchi's Prerogative
by YaoiFanLady 2
Summary: [SETOxJOU] Jou runs from home and makes a wrong turn, ending up at Kaiba's instead of Yugi's. How does Kaiba react when a scared, helpless puppy ends up on his front doorstep? Struck by illnesses, Jou stays at the mansion, frustrating the CEO. YAOI LEMON
1. Flee For My Life

_AN: This is an angsty little fic that I started a while ago...so I'm finishing this chapter now. I dunno how long it will be, but it will develop to Jou and Kaiba Seto love/yaoi...if all goes according to plan. Review me and ill keep going! Thanks! _

_Disclaimer: don't own YGO, unfortunately. Bummer. Well, now all I can do is honour it by writing ff about it. I hope I do them all justice! _

_And here we go…_

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**Jounouchi's Prerogative**

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**Chapter 1**

The moon was high in the dark night sky and the sharp chirping of crickets could be heard non-stop. Random pieces of papers flew around lifted by the bitterly cold wind that raced through the dark alleys and rundown backstreets of the dangerous neighbourhood. Jou wandered alone down the darkened street, humming a tune softly to himself.

He hadn't wanted to stay at home; his dad was back from a night out at the pub and was extremely drunk. Jou had decided to make himself scarce before his father noticed that his 'good-for-nothing' son was still there. Jou still had slight bruises on his chest and back where his father had beat him last time. Jou may have been stubborn, but he knew not to push it when it came to his father. The man had a violent streak, and wouldn't hesitate to seriously hurt the young blonde if Jou didn't back down. Saving his ass and surviving became first priority over his pride, as Jou had quickly discovered. Besides, if he got too badly hurt, his friends would notice sooner or later, and Jou didn't want to get them involved.

So now, at 11:40pm on a Saturday, Jou treaded slowly down foreboding backstreets, his feet following a path they obviously knew. Jou walked without thinking, his hands in his pockets and his shoulders hunched, his jacket collar whipping his face and his long blonde hair wavered in front of his downcast honey eyes. So much to think about-so many subjects…yet his mind was blissfully blank.

He turned a corner sharply and his pace sped up, now heading in a direction with a strong intent to get somewhere. Out of nowhere his mind had suddenly declared that the teen was to go to the park, and then possibly traipse through the forest that edged the small town of Domino Plymouth. Jou wasn't going to debate about it…going somewhere was better than going no where.

Reaching the darkened and shadowed park, Jou wandered slowly over to the swing and sat down, moving with it as it swung and buckled under his weight. A cold wind whistled through the abandoned area, trees rustling and leaves flying. The swing next him swayed as if an invisible child had sat there and just gotten off. He sighed and drew his arms and legs in, taking his weight off the ground. Trying to preserve his slowly diminishing body heat, he pulled his jacket closer. Slowly, against his will, he began to shiver. It was almost too cold, but where would he go that was still warm? Home was no longer an option, so…now where? Teeth chattering, he got up off of the swing and started to wander in the direction of Yugi's house.

Suddenly he froze. The wind swirled and rose around him, carrying with it an unearthly noise. It chilled his being deeper than the gusts of wind, and he stood stock still, waiting for it to pass him again. His ears pricked, straining to hear it again, and he felt his heart begin to pound. It swirled pass again, and he swallowed, thinking quickly.

'What is that?' he thought, frowning. 'I know that noise, those…uh…I know-voices? But…from where?'

And suddenly it clicked. He knew what that was. And he had to get as far away from it as fast as he could. It meant trouble. Big trouble. Broken ribs were not on the blondes agenda. He had stayed away from home to avoid them, and staying here meant he would get them anyway.

The drunken shrieks of laughter and loud swears travelled swiftly to him, coming distantly from his right side. And they were moving closer. He had to get out of there, and fast. He recognised the loudest voice, and its owner was a dangerous and unpredictable character.

He was a large and muscular adult, a jock on the high school team by the name of Herat. He was a bully, and had made it his mission to target and pulverise Jou. Many of his previous injuries had been at the giant hands of the brutish thug, and that had been when he was sober…and alone. Now he had his obedient and stupid friends, and all of them sounded severely intoxicated.

Suddenly he regained control of his stiff body. Feeling tension building in his legs, he sprang up and leaped over the edge of the parks railing, landing awkwardly. Looking back, he could see several large, shadowy shapes lumbering clumsily towards him as the group of thugs got closer. The gradually loudening yells and cheers stinging his ears, Jou turned his back to them, his heart beginning to pound. Zipping up his jacket and plotting a course to reach Yugi's, he clenched his fists and ran.

Herat took another swig of his vodka and, shoving another jock aside, he looked dazedly over at the seemingly abandoned playground in front of them. He squinted, yelling for silence when something moved. A person on the opposite end of the grounds turned their back and ran full pelt towards a line of trees and a pathway into the suburbs.

A beam of moonlight hit the golden tresses of the teen dashing away. Recognising the loping steps and blonde hair Herat's eyes widened and he roared in delight. Taking one last draught of his vodka, smashing the empty bottle to the ground and wiping his wide mouth with one giant hand, he cracked his knuckles and grinned. He was bored of drinking. But now a better game had presented itself. And it was Play Time…

Jou glanced over his shoulder as he reached the pathway, only to see all of the drunken bullies running at him. And one was holding a smashed bottle, its sharp and spiky edges glinting in the moonlight.

Jou turned tail and ran; now fearing for his life. If he was caught…well, if that bottle and its owner reached him, it would be buried in his chest in seconds.

Seeing the retreat as a sign of a challenge and submission, Herat just sped up, racing ahead of his goons to get to the game before them. The moonlight shadowed across his face, and bloodlust could be seen deep in his unfocussed and hazed eyes.

_

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AN: oooooh angsty…lol I sooo hope the thugs don't reach Jou…run Jou, run! Please don't get caught!_

_Well, what do ya think? Keep goin? I was in a mood for angsty…meh. U wanna know how Kaiba ties inta all of this…well, hahaa! U just wait and see! _

_Love Kat_


	2. Unexpected Arrival, and Opening Wounds

_Ok people…I have a lot of spare time on my hands, so heres a second chapter that you all have been askin for. I got a mental blank at the moment, but ill try my hardest to do what u like! and sorry for the massive AN at the end, but im in a chatty mood, ok?_

_Ano- Hi Chibs! How are ya? I know your there! Lol you always are…anyone would think u liked my stories! Hope ur happy wit me…im updating! _

_Here we go!_

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**Chapter 2**

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His heartbeat pounded in his ears and his chest heaved with every desperate breath he took, raggedly cutting the dark silence. His legs were screaming in agony, the stressed muscles beginning to give up and slow him down. But he kept pushing harder, kept picking up his feet and stepping quicker. Fear fuelled him, and he ran for his life.

Ignoring the complaints coming from his tired body, Jou sprinted around a corner and jumped over the small bush in his way. He ran and ran, darkness blinding him, barely seeing or caring where he was going.

Getting to Yugi's was no longer the objective. Now Jou just wanted to get away-run away and surrender to the darkness in the safety and recluse of his exhausted mind. But if he stopped running, he would be caught. By them.

They were yelling and jeering, moving faster and faster towards him. They were jocks on the high school team, and they knew that they could keep running longer than their prey could. The prey knew that too…and it frightened him to no end.

With strong alcohol surging through their system, the 6 thugs were not thinking straight, and their unfocused thoughts were now concentrated on catching up to Jou. He was scared of them, but one of them in particular chilled his blood. Herat was at the front of the pack, the leader, the fastest, and the biggest danger.

So Jou ran faster than he had ever run before…but his body was beginning to give out on him. He couldn't run forever, and soon they would catch him. So he would have to out-smart them. But he couldn't think straight. His eyes were blurred with sweat dripping of his forehead, his brain starting to wield to the demands of his body. His actions were getting sluggish and he was slowing down. No matter how strongly his mind was yelling to keep going, his body was ignoring the commands and shutting down.

Herat could see the boy slowing, dazedly choosing a path for his feet. Clumsily the blonde figure tripped and stumbled over his own shoes, and slowed to a stop. Herat yelled in triumph, thinking the chase was over. He motioned for the others to follow him, and picked up his pace, his great hulking mass of body moving quickly with the full force of his considerable weight.

Jou turned, clutching the ankle he had tripped on, and his frightened eyes widened at the sight before him. Herat was charging, shoulder lowered and body lined, preparing to crunch into the teen and knock him flat, allowing time for the others to reach him. Behind the leader the group charged, sensing the end was nearing.

Tightening his grip on reality, Jou's mind clicked into motion and frantically his brain calculated an escape. Glancing desperately around, he saw a bench sitting closely behind him, and a short fence leading into an abandoned property. Narrowing his eyes, he waited for the perfect moment to move. Tensing his muscles and letting out one single command for the obedience from his whole body, Jou braced himself to flee.

Herat took two last steps and now within about 60cm from Jou. He sprang and aimed for Jou's chest, the group two seconds behind him. Just as Herat leaped, Jou pushed heavily off of the ground with his one good foot and leapt at the bench. Grabbing at the arm rest, he used it as a lever and volleyed himself over the small fence. He hit the ground running and sped of into the darkness and shadows, not even bothering to look behind him and ignoring the smarting jolts of pain his senses were receiving from his damaged ankle.

Herat saw the golden hair whip away from him in the moonlight, but the contact with the other boy never came. With a yell of surprise, Herat landed with an echoing crash and, still under considerable momentum, tumbled into a street post. His cronies skidded to a stop, staring around confusedly, wondering what was happening. Herat pulled himself up and saw the edge of the young teen's jacket as Jou whipped around the corner of the lot and out of sight.

Roaring with rage, Herat kicked the bench, splitting the thick wood. Positively seething, he snatched a bottle from one of his co hunters and drained it. His pride deeply shaken, Herat turned and spat out orders to the dumbfounded jocks. Turning his back on the now empty lot, he lumbered off, swearing and cursing loudly. He'd been outsmarted by that brat. Again.

"Ill get you for this, punk." He swore doggedly. "That was the last time!"

* * *

Thanking his lucky stars that the thugs were turning to leave, Jou sprinted across a shadowed street and slowed to a stop, trying to gather his bearings. Everything was dark and foreboding, shadows and bands of moonlight casting ghostly shadows across the dank features of the street before him. The haunting houses lining the dark road seemed expensive and extravagant, with large old gardens and some even with two or three stories. Jou stared around, spinning on the spot, and winced when the pain signals from his ankle suddenly reached his attention.

But pain was the last thing from his mind. The adrenaline that had been coursing his system was slowly dissipating, and was quickly being replaced with a deep and hollowing fear. He didn't know where he was. He had got turned around in the darkness of the night when he had been running for his life, and had taken one too many wrong turns. There were absolutely no familiar aspects of this area. He was lost.

His aching body, severely exhausted and in pain, started to shiver as the numbing cold slowly commenced seeping in and chilling his very core. The wind had gotten bitter and the clothes he wore offered no warmth. The body heat he had generated from all of the movement he had been doing was ebbing away. With the moon hidden beneath the deep black clouds speeding across the sky, Jou felt his wits leave him, and despair take control. He was alone…so very alone.

He clenched his eyelids shut, willing that single tear not to roll slowly down his cheek as it was threatening to do. Sniffing loudly, he hunched his shoulders and wandered doggedly down the damp street. He didn't care where he was going. He had no purpose anymore. Yugi's place was far away, and out of his reach. He had no where to go, no where to turn to.

A light pierced the darkness to his right, coming from the one of the higher windows of the most expensive and elaborate mansion on the block. He turned, eyes accustomed to the dark squinting against the brightness. He walked over the pavement and stood outside of the double cast iron gates leading to the driveway of the mansion. Looking up, the window light reflected the emblem emblazoned proudly upon the gate. He stared, his brain struggling to register what the two letters meant. Then it hit him.

'_KC.'_ He read in his mind. _'What the…? KaibaCorp! But that means…Kaiba! Seto Kaiba! Ohh boy...'_

"Unbelievable." He murmured quietly, astonished at his luck. Good or bad, it was luck all the same.

He was standing outside the main entrance to the mansion owned by the most envied and powerful man in the whole country. The KaibaCorp emblem flickered in the window light, daring him to stay. Should he ask for help? From Seto Kaiba, of all people? Would he even help him, or simply turn him away? But then Jou sighed dejectedly. What choice did he have? He was lost, and even if it was from a stuck up jerk like Kaiba, he needed help.

'_This is one sick twist of irony.'_ Jou thought, grimacing. Surrendering to the hand of fate that was obviously screwing with his night, Jou pressed the buzzer on the intercom set into the wall next to the gate. Shifting the weight off of his hurting ankle, he waited for a reply.

With a scratching of static, an elderly voice whom Jou figured belonged to one of the butlers stated an interesting question that Jou had no real answer for.

"Young man, what are you doing out there? Aren't you cold?"

Jou blanched. _'What kind of a stupid question was that?'_ he wondered lightly.

"Yeah, o' course I'm cold! It's freezin out here!" He scoffed, and he detailed his situation to the faceless voice. "I was bein chased by dese drunk thugs, see, and I twist'd mah ankle tryin ta escape. Now Im lost and I kinda need sum help…will ya lemme in? Please?"

There was a silence from the old butler. Then a scratchy "Hold on a minute, please." and the sounds of motion through the communicator. Then the intercom switched off.

Jou stepped back as the iron gates mechanical locks whirred open and it slowly screeched back, opening a passage large enough for him to pass through. Jou hesitated, wondering vaguely what he was getting himself into.

A shape was walking quickly towards him, and Jou saw the shady outline of the butler hurrying across the pebbled driveway. Glad to see at least one friendly person, Jou sighed in relief and half ran, half hobbled over to him. The butler greeted him anxiously, taking him softly by the arm and guiding him very gently inside the open main door, having noticed the wince coming from the boy with every second step.

Shutting the heavy oak door behind them, the butler stood back and eyed Jou over, obviously looking for injuries. Jou was staring around at the manor, slightly impressed but mostly disgusted at the obvious splurging of money Kaiba must have done to get it. The butler clicked his tongue distractedly and Jou returned his attention to him. He smiled, finally seeing the aging man in the light of the entrance room.

The butler was taller than average and seemed around 60 years old. His long grey hair was tied back traditionally and his black suit and white shirt, gloves and serving arm towel were all impeccably clean. He gave off an impressive aura of authority, yet he had a warm smile and his grey eyes crinkled in a welcoming fashion. Jou felt immediately comforted now that he was safe, inside a warm house with a kind man who was willing to help him.

* * *

The old man took great pride in his position as Head Butler of the Kaiba residence and took no nonsense, but his strict heart softened when he saw young kids that obviously needed help. This golden haired boy standing awkwardly before him was no exception. He motioned for the kid to follow him, and led him swiftly through the mansion without a word.

The butler finally stopped outside of an old and rather desecrated door, not as expensive or well maintained as the other ones. Jou stopped and leaned against the wall for support as he tested his ankle's remaining strength. Looking up and noticing that the butler was watching him, he straightened up and waited for the man to say something.

"This is the manor's Employee's Entrance to the kitchens." He finally said, pointing to the old door next to them. "Here you will be fed, kept warm and asked a few questions about what has happened to you." Jou opened his mouth to say something, but the old man cut him off. "No, I cannot stay here. I must go and inform Master Kaiba of your arrival. Go in, and the Head Night Maid will take it from there. Ask for Alice."

He bowed low and smiled. "Welcome to Kaiba Manor." He said, voice ringing deeply.

And with that the only familiar thing Jou had seen all night briskly walked off and left Jou staring alone and uncertainly at the door in front of him.

_

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AN: Well. That was fun! No, im serious! I had fun writin that chapter. I like that old butler…lovely .;;. Hahahaaa…_

_Maybe ur wondering why I named the Head Night Maid 'Alice'? Well, long story but…_

_Ok-my dad works in a wealthy school's senior library as a 'Library Technician' and one of his many jobs is to run and service the computer systems. He designed and modifies a system he named 'ALICE' (sound familiar? .) to help document and run the books and computer borrowing system of the library. Without it, the whole school computer system is in disarray! _

_Hehee! Im so proud of my daddy for designing that program and installing it! He's currently working on an upgrade, but anyway…im getting off track. 'Alice' is a name I immediately connect to something (or someone) helpful, friendly and useful. The night maid fits that profile coz she helps Jou out a lot next chappie, and further on in the story…_

_sigh Ok fine, because you asked nicely, ill give you a couple of teasers:_

_The nice old butler man has told 'Master Kaiba' about the golden god visitor (drool Mmmm…Jou…) and the head of the household is not impressed. He goes off at Jou and the servants for letting him in and the night maid is the only one who stands up for him. Lets just say that Kaiba gives in (obviously)…but in a very unusual way…lol. _

_Later on in the story (if all goes well), Alice will help out again when Herat and his thugs eventually catch up to poor Jou…for bittersweet revenge…have I got your attention now? _

_Lol. Well that's one HUGE authors note. Hmmm…better go and start the next chappie. Seeya soon guys!_

_Kat_


	3. Meet Alice As Kaiba's Mood Worsens

_Ok peoples…u totally owe me for doing this one. I've worked like clockwork to finish my first day's work experience jobs early so I could type this…so nyaa! __Oh god it was fun-not. Filing, sorting, filing and then more filing. But meh ive only got 4 more days of it. Then holidays! . But still-4 days! But meh, ya get that. _

_Ohhh I miss my boyfriend…I only got to see him yesterday, but I had to go home **4** hours earlier than I expected, and now I miss him doubly coz I know I had that chance to be with him longer…I miss my Nick. Sigh sorry u don't want-or need- to know about my personal life. Sigh _

_Sorry-on with the chapter!_

**

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Jounouchi's Prerogative****

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Chapter 3**

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Charles left the boy staring uncertainly at the staff door and walked calmly away, moving gradually through the giant house to the location of his short-tempered employer.

Seto Kaiba had returned home, late as usual, after a day at work filled with annoying yes-men, dodgy claims and several reports and meetings. He was constantly stressed and on edge. The members of staff were beginning to worry about him, as was the younger master, Mokuba Kaiba.

Climbing the regal staircase and moving smoothly towards the north wing of Kaiba Manor, Charles breezed past the slightly ajar door of the younger Kaiba brother's bedroom to hear him talking aloud to himself. He paused outside of the door, listening in and wondering concernedly why the boy wasn't asleep.

"I'm bored…Now what do I do? Ive done my homework, Seto wont let me have someone come over…and I can't sleep…" the whiny complain wafted through the door and Charles couldn't help but chuckle affectionately at the young ones short attention span and lack of enthusiasm. He peered cautiously around the door and squinted through the narrow gap, managing to see only a sliver of the room it hid.

The black-haired boy was sitting awkwardly at the end of his bed and looked extremely putout. Grumbling and muttering under his breath, Mokuba's large brown eyes stared unimpressed around his large and extremely messy room.

Charles paused. Maybe the youth would like to meet the new houseguest? It would certainly amuse him, if only a while. So Charles knocked softly on the door, waiting for an invitation in.

"Yes?" Mokuba drawled, swinging his feet over the edge of his bed.

Charles opened the door wider and walked in. He stood straight and proud, and then bowed respectfully to the young master.

"Young sir, I could not help but overhear your predicament." He said stiffly. Mokuba pouted and nodded, slightly nonplussed that the butler had overheard him. Charles continued, "A house guest arrived tonight. Perhaps you would like to meet him and make him feel welcome whilst I alert Master Kaiba to the boys arrival?"

Mokuba's eyes lit up and he grinned slightly. "Just who is this person, Charles?" he asked eagerly, looking at the butler with childish curiosity.

The butler hesitated suddenly, realizing with faint horror that he had not queried about the young visitors name. This certainly would not do for the strict guidelines and rules that had been set in place for the billionaire family's protection. Charles would pay dearly for this later.

Noticing the pause and look of terror and uncertainty on the elderly man's lined face, Mokuba frowned. "What's the matter?" he asked slowly, watching the butler closely. "Well, who is it?" he demanded, emphasizing that the butler had not yet answered.

"I cannot reveal that to you, young sir. You shall have to guess." Charles countered quickly, grinning in play cheek. Mokuba had so loved to play this game when he was a child, and now that very game would help Charles to get out of hot water.

Mokuba tilted his head to one side and studied the man. "What's going on here?" he asked sternly. Charles was suddenly struck by how similar that tone resembled the elder brother's usual speaking voice. He started to sweat. Mokuba was a bright boy…what if he figured it out? Charles composed himself, and puffing out his chest, called the boys bluff.

"Can't you guess?" he asked in a superior tone. Mokuba pouted. "Well, I suppose I could give you a clue…" the butler trailed off, and Mokuba suddenly lost his worries and began to look curious again. He slipped off of the bed and walked eagerly over to the butler, looking up at him expectantly, large brown orbs shining with a silent plea.

Chuckling, Charles said "Alright, young Master. Here's your only clue." He held up one long finger and Mokuba nodded. The butler thought quickly, contemplating what he should reveal. "Hmmm…he has long blonde hair and…uhm…brown gold eyes."

Mokuba paused for a long time. He furrowed his eyebrows and paced around the old man in circles like a shark, tapping his chin thoughtfully. Silently he went through all of the candidates, until finally his sharp mind landed on the one last possible person it even had a remote chance of being. He grinned and his eyes widened excitedly.

"Where is he?" he asked eagerly, grabbing hold of one of the butler's long hands. Charles let out an inward sigh of relief. The boy thought he knew who it was and wasn't asking if he was actually right. Thanking his luck at the confidence of the black haired boy's guess, Charles bowed low again and pointed down to his right, in the direction of the kitchens. Mokuba let loose a yelp of joy and sped out of the door, only just giving Charles enough time to yell after him that the golden boy was with the Night Maid in the kitchens.

Shaking his head at the young boy's excitement, Charles could only assume that the two knew each other somehow. Suddenly he remembered that Master Kaiba did not yet know about the arrival of the boy, and, straightening his black tuxedo, he hurried off to his original destination.

* * *

Jou gulped and stared at the door. The old butler had simply left him there, and Jou didn't know if he wanted to go in. Tightening his nerve, he clenched his fists and was about to push the swinging door open when a clattering and rushing noise came from behind him. Turning his head to see what was making the noise, all Jou could see was a black mane of hair catapult down the staircase, around the tight corner and straight at him.

Diving into his middle, Jou felt thin arms wrap themselves around his waist and heard the excited squeal of whatever it was that had plowed into him. Not expecting the sudden impact, Jou yelped in surprise and, feeling his ankle splinter and crack and then give way, he collapsed against the wall. Sliding down it with a dazed look on his face, Jou took a couple of deep breaths and winced, willing himself not to whimper at the bolts of excruciating pain that was thundering up from his now probably broken ankle.

The black haired attacker lifted his head out of Jou's chest and gazed up at him happily, brown orbs half closed in glee. Jou looked down in between short sharp gasps as he desperately attempted to shut out and ignore the pain, and saw whom it was. He tried to smile in greeting, but only managed a grimace. Mokuba's eyes widened and he chattered on distractedly.

"Jounouchi! What are you doin' here? How did you get here? But I thought that you didn't like my brother, so what are…hey-wait." He frowned in concern, finally noticing the strained look on the blondes face. He sat back on Jou's stomach, causing the teen to wince again, and the young Kaiba studied his face cautiously. "Hey, what's the matter, Jou?"

Jou grunted and tried to wiggle his toes. Finally beginning to feel the motion, Jou could only sigh in relief that his ankle wasn't broken. Mokuba's onslaught had only worsened it. He smiled weakly. "Hey buddy. How are ya?" He ruffled the boy's hair lightly and shifted uneasily under his weight. "Hey, do ya mind gettin off a me?"

Mokuba obediently got up and gave Jou a hand. Jou took it, almost tugging the black haired boy back down again as he used the kid to pull himself off of the floor. Jou unsteadily wobbled on his single good foot, not wanting to put any pressure on the other already numbing appendage. Mokuba looked down, saw Jou favouring his ankle and gaped open-mouthed.

"Oh, god! I'm so sorry Jou! I didn't know you were injured! Here, let me-" and he offered Jou a shoulder to rest on. Jou panted a thank you and Mokuba knocked on the kitchen door, before awkwardly opening it and going in, guiding the injured teen in after him.

Jou looked around at the quiet scene before him. The rectangular high-ceiling room was large and had many rooms and doors leading out of it, presumably to employee only areas and store cupboards. Every now and then a tidy little maid or butler bustled in and out, running errands and doing jobs. An aged and antique clock hanging regally on the wall told Jou that it was about 1:10 in the morning. There were several large rectangular preparation tables in the center of the room piled with baskets upon baskets of fruits, vegetables and other foodstuffs, like breads and rolls. Also littering the tables were the dinners of the kitchen hands and other staff members, yet to be cleaned up. Wooden crates and cardboard boxes of cans and tins were stacked against the walls and in the cupboards, all of which were filled with similar contents. Every cooking implement known lined the walls and hung on racks from the ceiling, as did high price crystal glasses and china plates. Proud tall shelves showed off the expensive cutlery and crockery it protected, and they all shined in pristine cleanliness. Several large fridges, ovens, microwaves, sinks, heaters and stoves littered the areas of the kitchen that were uninhabited by the pots and pans that were lined neatly along the walls. It gave an impression of organized chaos. Jou probably would have had trouble finding one single spoon without getting lost, yet he was sure that one of the maids or butlers could probably hunt down the smallest sugar grain in less than a minute with little or no fuss.

A portly middle-aged woman was doing the dishes in a large and heavily laden sink to the two boy's extreme left and she turned when she heard the familiar swing of the entrance door.

"Charles, is that you? Have you done tha-Oh?" She said, looking around and spotting the two, neither of which being the individual she was referring to. Mokuba smiled and helped Jou into the nearest seat. Jou sat down heavily and studied the gentle woman from afar. She had heavy bags under her eyes, her movements were sluggish and her arms appeared heavy. She'd obviously not slept yet. She was a little shorter than Jou and seemed to be a little pudgy. She had a round face with brown eyes that crinkled in a warm and motherly fashion. Jou instantly liked her. She wore the traditional maid outfit: black conservative clothes and a white apron. She even wore the little white hat.

"Hey Alice!" Mokuba chirped happily, bounding over and giving the Head Night Maid a big hug. She laughed at the kid's exuberance and enclosed him in a bear hug, rubbing her soapy hands all over his spiky hair.

"Hey! That's mean!" Mokuba squealed, and ducking for cover, ran away to hide behind the table and fluff the foam out of his hair. Alice only chuckled and grabbed a hand towel. Drying her large hands, she looked around and saw the other boy sitting uncomfortably in his chair.

"And who's this?" she asked kindly, giving Jou a friendly smile. Mokuba started-he'd forgotten about Jou!

"Oh! Uhm, Alice-this is Jounouchi Katsuya. A friend of mine. He's injured." Mokuba pointed to Jou's foot and Alice frowned. She dropped the hand towel, straightened her apron and walked over. Kneeling down, she took his foot gently in her hands and started to test his ankle.

"Just tell me when its hurts, ok sweetie?" she murmured, moving the sore foot in little circles. Jou nodded. She turned it a little too far and pain rocketed up Jou's leg.

"OUCH! Hey!" he yelped, yanking his foot out of her grasp. She just nodded, muttering something to herself, and went over to a nearby cupboard.

"Well, Mr. Jounouchi, it looks like you have sprained it pretty well. If you hadn't put so much stress on it _after_ you'd injured it, it wouldn't be this bad." She looked sternly over her shoulder as she pulled out a medical kit and Jou frowned.

"Uh, that was my fault." Mokuba piped up. "I ran into him and he fell over again. It was a mistake." He looked apologetically over at the two and Alice smiled.

"Well then, that's ok, dear." She said motherly, walking over and, removing his shoe and sock, she went about strapping Jou's ankle. After 5 minutes she asked Jou to try to walk on it. He stood up and staggered around until finally plopping back in his seat.

Leaning back, he felt exhaustion start to leech his remaining energy. It was so warm in the kitchen and Jou just couldn't keep his eyes open. He had slowly started to nod off to sleep when a large steaming mug of hot chocolate was placed gently on the table next to him. Thanking the Night Maid who had put it there, Jou took a sip and felt it warm his system, running through his body like a mellow and soothing fire. Alice pulled up a chair next to him and watched him closely.

"How old are you dear?" she asked concernedly. Jou mumbled a tired "16" and her eyes widened. "But, how-?" she began, but Mokuba intervened.

"Its ok Alice. That doesn't matter at the moment." He looked at her sternly; speaking in tones Jou had heard him use only a couple of times. "All that matters is that he's ok. Let him sleep and then we can ask questions." Furrowing her eyebrows, Alice shut her mouth and obediently stood up and walked back over to the sink to resume the dishes, leaving the two to themselves.

"But she has a point." Mokuba continued quietly, ducking in closer. He didn't want the maid to know that he was still asking questions instead of following his own advice. "How _did_ you get here?"

Jou paused, thinking. In all honesty, he didn't know _exactly_ how he had arrived at Kaiba Manor because he had gotten lost and found it by chance. So he just told what he could remember from that night to Mokuba, keeping his voice down so that Alice couldn't hear. Or so they thought. Alice was doing the dishes as quietly as possible so that she could overhear them. Listening in wasn't hard, since Jou was telling the story with growing excitement to accent the emotion of the situation. He finished and Mokuba sat there looking dumbfounded and also extremely worried. Jou just shrugged and finished off his hot chocolate.

Alice looked over her shoulder. "You're a bit young to be out by yourself at this godforsaken hour, dear. Especially in the dangerous neighborhood it seemed that you were in." She said loudly, clanking a dish in her disagreement. Mokuba started and jumped in his seat and Jou grinned sheepishly, realizing she had overheard them.

Suddenly a loud roar of anger echoed around them, followed by more loud shouts and extremely crass swearing. Mokuba's eyes widened at the language and Alice dropped a plate, muttering something about the 'young ears this dirty language is falling upon'. Jou frowned, trying to trace where the commotion was coming from.

It rang through the vast house, echoing off the walls and sinking into every nook and cranny, waking up all of the inhabitants. It seemed that Seto Kaiba had just been informed that his new houseguest had arrived. And he did not sound at all pleased.

Muffled shouts and hurried footsteps moved slowly across the house. It seemed the old and very nervous butler was trying his best to desperately calm his master down as the ropable CEO rampaged towards them. There was a crash and a loud curse, followed by heavy striding footsteps right above the kitchen. It appeared that it was the furious master of the house's destination, and that meant that Kaiba was coming for Jou. Jou gulped and looked worriedly at the Night Maid, now his only source of comfort in this strange new place.

"Oh dear." Alice muttered, turning to look at Mokuba and Jou. She gave them each a gentle smile in false reassurance, yet her soft and round face was etched with worry and tenseness.

There were sudden bangs and murmurs behind them as the staff of Kaiba Manor appeared out of various doors to the kitchen. There were an assortment of young and old, inexperienced and well learned, and all of them were staring around nervously. They arranged themselves in a tight knit group, whispering to each other and fidgeting, alert to the current murderous mood of their fearsome employer.

Jou figured that they were wondering why their boss was so pissed off, but he didn't feel like trying to explain to them that he was the problem. Slowly, one by one, they noticed the small golden haired youth sitting awkwardly in their kitchen and an uncomfortable and deadly silence befell upon them. The striding footsteps of Kaiba could be heard still, yet softer, hurried footsteps were moving faster and closer towards them. The night staff and some of the day staff huddled closer together and broke out into a low buzz of conversation, hissing accusations, throwing suspicious glares and pointing at Jou.

"That's enough!" Alice snapped haughtily, striding over to stand defiantly between the door and the prey of her boss. She stood straight and proud, hands on her hips and clutching a soapy long-handled wooden spoon, a look of furious determination clear on her tired face. The staff fell obediently silent, staring in a mixture of wonder and disbelief at their Head's actions and wondering why she wanted to get herself fired at such an important stage in her career.

The frantic footsteps got closer and closer, until finally Jou couldn't take it anymore and closed his eyes, waiting anxiously. There was loud panting and an extremely tired and stressed Head Butler burst through the kitchen door Jou had entered through earlier. He ran in a few feet and suddenly stopped when he saw his other Head Servant, and the defiant look on her face.

"Alice! Get out of here!" he yelped loudly waving his hands in random directions. "Master Kaiba is coming here! Go! Quickly, and take that boy with you!" he pointed an accusing finger at Jou and the staff collected in the corner of the room gasped loudly as a collective whole.

Alice scoffed and looked behind her. "Honestly Charles, calm down. The boy is injured, so throwing him out is not going to happen." She looked back at the panting elderly man, expression unchanged. "Well, not while I'm around, anyway."

The man Jou now knew as 'Charles The Butler' frowned and sidestepped the stubborn woman. He brushed his long ponytail over his shoulder and stared at the now frightened teen. "He's coming to get _you_, boy, so if I were you id get out of here, and do so sharpish!" he said quietly, apologetically even. He looked over at Mokuba. "You had better do the same, young Master. You won't want to see this…"

Alice tightened her grip on her wooden spoon. " Oh please Charles. Stop dramatizing everything." Charles stood up and straightened his uniform, catching his breath and doing the closest thing to a pout that an old man could do. Alice frowned as the loud aggravated grumbling and footsteps of Seto Kaiba got closer and she looked up at the ceiling, thinking. "Anyway, how did you get here before Master Kaiba?" she said slowly, looking back at the Butler.

"Oh, I took some service passages and a few shortcuts I happen to know about." Charles shrugged offhandedly and suddenly noticed the crowd of his underlings huddled in the room, all of whom were listening in intently.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked nonplussed. They oldest butler there fidgeted and said something that sounded like witnessing a big event. Charles growled and straightened up to his full height, and he spoke with authority and anger lacing his heavy voice. "You don't honestly believe that Master Kaiba will be pleased to see you here, do you? Go; get out of here...go on! I would have expected better from each of you!"

They each obediently turned and disappeared, each looking guilty and embarrassed while some were throwing furtive looks over their shoulders at Jou. Alice, Charles, Jou and Mokuba all watched them go, attention moved from the angry man stalking through the house. Distracted, they didn't hear the footsteps outside the door.

A loud bang echoed throughout the house as Seto Kaiba barged through the kitchen door, a look of livid anger on his fair features. Jumping Jou turned and his eyes widened at the CEO. He had never seen Kaiba so mad. His cold eyes danced with a burning hate and his hands were clenched in tight fists. His entire body was tensed and his teeth were bared in a sneering growl. He stood tall, looming over them. A vein was going in his temple.

Jou was speechless. A deathly silence hung in the air, no one daring to say anything to set the obviously ticking young man off. Mokuba gulped and stood up. He walked slowly around Jou to stand in front of him, barring him from Kaiba's view. He smiled forcefully.

"Big Brother?"

No reply. Kaiba's steel blue eyes were boring into the mutt he hated so much. Jou steeled his nerve and got up, placing a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. He stared defiantly back and said the one thing he shouldn't have, snapping Kaiba out of his silence.

"Well Kaiba? Aren't ya gonna answer ya little brotha like a nice kiddy?"

He cringed as Kaiba took a deep breath and roared at the top of his voice, anger and hate loud and clear.

"WHEELER! GET OUTTA MY HOUSE, YOU WORTHLESS DOG!"

* * *

_Well, that's it. Gotta go. Love yas all. Please R&R! Chapter 4 coming soon! And yes I'm aware that Kaiba didn't swear. That comes later. Lol sorry the ending sux a bit, but I had to type it in 2 seconds-literally. Next chapter will be better...promise!_

_Love YaoiFanLady 2_


	4. Seto, Jou's Last Word For Savior

_Hi guys its me again…im sorry it's been so long since it's been updated but ive had a lot on my plate. Nick and I broke up a week ago and yeah it would have been our 5 month anno on the 17th…im so bummed. Plus school is back in full swing and yeah. Been getting sidetracked. _

_But one reviewer asked in a review of my new story "Suspicious Much!" (Yep another JouxKaiba one) when the next chapter for this would turn up and another complained in a review of chapter 3 as to how soon I meant when I said 'next chapter coming soon' as it has been (quote, end quote) "2 months already". So I stirred myself and have resolved to get this too you in the fastest times I can. Of course the reason I take so long to update is because my style of writing is long and descriptive (to a fault) so yeah. But ill do my best for you guys cos I love u all so much! _

_And to ChibiSmiles…haven't heard from ya in a while…how are ya? Hope you like it! _

_Here we go…_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"WHEELER! GET OUTTA MY HOUSE, YOU WORTHLESS DOG!"

Jou flinched at the earsplitting roar that the seething business man had let out. It was scary, to be in an unwelcome and unfamiliar environment with a man who apparently wanted nothing more than to shove someone's head through a wall. Jou had a sneaking suspicion that that poor someone would eventually be him. He was very frightened, and with good reason. The billionaire looked ready to kill, and it was the fear of many that they would be around when Seto Kaiba lost his temper. Of course, par to Jou's luck so far this night, Seto kaiba was standing, breathing heavily and in the worst of moods, directly in front of an injured Jou.

'_Great. Juuuust great.'_ Jou thought wearily, pain from his leg now barely registering in his numb mind. It seemed like hell had arrived, just in time to see Jou off. He could feel it, seeping through his body. A combination of exhaustion, pain, weakness and general tiredness that he could sense wavering in his damaged and surrendering physic. He felt about ready to collapse and darkness was already beginning to leech into his sight.

A frightened gurgle from the butler beside him snapped him awake and he raised dull honey eyes to meet the burning sapphire ones, staring at him with such intense emotion that he was sure it would bore right through him. He grimaced and raised the finger to kaiba, a signal that he wasn't as intimidated as his weak boned employees. Kaiba tensed and growled loudly in fury.

Alice grimaced and gathered Mokuba protectively in her large arms, trying to shelter him from the scenario he was caught in. Mokuba himself was huddled over, eyes wide with fear and surprise. He always believed that his brother was a good person, and yet here Seto Kaiba was, being anything but good. It must have come as quite a shock, as it was well known that Kaiba cared for his brother and made every effort to be civil when his younger brother was around. Such courtesies must not have risen to Kaiba's mind, and Jou would bet his lunch for a week that Mokuba had never seen his brother like this.

Charles had taken two steps backwards to give the furious man some room, inadvertently banging into the table. Not that he noticed; his attention was transfixed on the seething brunette.

"What the fuck are you doing here, you ratty asshole?" Kaiba hissed at Jou, eyes glinting with anger and hate. He seethed; frustrated that no one was daring to answer him. Jou didn't want to speak-he didn't trust himself not to piss off the man even more. Growling angrily, Kaiba snapped a finger at Charles, barking out an order. "It's the middle of the fucking night! Why did you let that punk in _here,_ of all places?"

Charles, lost for words, threw his hands up over his face as though he thought Kaiba was going to strike him. Immediately Jou thought that Kaiba looked about ready to smash someone through a wall. Kaiba clenched his fists and took two arrogant steps forward, closing in on his terrified manservant.

"ANSWER ME!"

"He-uh…I mean...he just showed up!" The frightened man stumbled out, tripping over his words in the effort of trying to please his boss with a suitable answer. Kaiba sneered and growled slightly. The butler made a desperate attempt to move away from his employer, failing to avoid the piercing cerulean eyes glaring angrily at him. Stumbling for an excuse he said, "I couldn't leave him out-out there…its cold you know…and I-I didn't…"

"You didn't? Didn't what?" he snapped, silencing the butler's apologetic ramblings with a glare. Brushing his long grayed ponytail over his shoulder, Charles gave up and stared at the floor, avoiding Kaiba's demanding glare and not answering him. Jou suspected that Charles didn't want to explain why, or wasn't sure himself. Kaiba however took it as a show of defiance, and he grabbed Charles by the throat and forced his face upwards. "Answer me now, or ill fire you! Why is he HERE?" he spat in the old mans face.

There was a fleeting motion from the corner of Jou's eyes, and he turned in time to see Alice ushering a mortified Mokuba out of the kitchen door to his left. She turned back around in time to see kaiba reach for Charles throat and her eyes widened in fear and anger when she saw the aggressive action. She frowned, obviously disapproving.

"Let _go_ of him, you idiot-RIGHT NOW!" she suddenly shouted, startling Jou to hear her raise her kindly voice. He sat down, feeling his legs go weak and his balance withering. Kaiba whipped his head around and stared at the adamant woman in front of him. He let go of the old man, who massaged his throat and gasped for breath.

"_What did you just say?"_ he said softly, a dangerous glint in his eye.

Steeling her nerve, Alice stood up straight and tall, the top of her head coming up to Kaiba's chin. She picked up her faithful wooden spoon which Jou had just noticed she had put on the table in the panic and faced kaiba with an unreadable expression.

"You heard me, kaiba. I called you an idiot. Because that is exactly what you are acting like! Do you even know this boy? Why is it so difficult for you to accommodate for _one_ injured boy in your enormous mansion?" she said levelly, trying to mask the emotion in her voice. Kaiba stood up, his energy sapping. Suddenly Jou noticed the sleep lines around his eyes and the fatigue of his motions. It looked like kaiba has had about as much sleep as Jou.

Alice continued, her softening voice reasoning with the brunette and unobtrusively trying to find a resolution. She didn't let him butt in with a comment, and it was obvious that kaiba was loosing the will to argue. "Why don't you let him stay? Hes injured and your little brother really wants him to stay. I can make sure he has nothing to do with you…does that suit you?"

Jou was impressed and he looked at kaiba with heavily lidded eyes. She obviously knew what she was doing, as Jou could see kaiba begin to melt and cave in as soon as his brother was mentioned. The prospect of not having to put up with Jou and have nothing to do with him finally seemed to win kaiba around, and Jou was thankful for the portly woman's reasoning skills and that she was on his side, not Kaiba's.

With a sigh of defeat kaiba spun on his heel and stalked towards the door. He paused for a moment and then turned around, fixing Jou with a cold glare. "You had better be gone before I get home from work tomorrow evening." He said icily, narrowing his eyes at the two Head Servants as if that was an order. Jou stood and balanced himself, noticing how his body wasn't responding the way it should. A cold shiver sped down his spine and a wave of dizziness clouded his vision for a split second before he regained himself fast enough to catch kaiba snap, "Do I make myself clear, mutt?

Jou sneered in contempt and started to move towards the left, making to get a glass of water and ignore the mutt comment. Kaiba hated it when Jou turned his back on him, and this was a prime example. Jou didn't care-all he wanted was something to drink. His mouth was so dry and his head was spinning. His cheeks felt flushed and hot, yet he had cold spasms with every move. Something was definitely not right. He just wanted to sleep.

Alice and Charles let him go, watching silently. Kaiba frowned as he noticed the wobble in the puppy's steps and the gingertenderness Jou was giving his obviouslydamaged leg. Jou reached the tap, pulled a glass towards him and filled it, turning the tap off again and taking a few moments to stop and stare at the glass. Jou shook the blonde out of his face and tried desperately to focus on the chilled glass, but his eyes wouldn't do it and colors were starting to leech from his vision. He took two steps back and turned, glass in hand, to see the concerned faces of Alice and Charles and the curious yet still fuming stare of Seto kaiba.

"Jou? Are you alright, dear? You look so very pale." Alice asked, a soft and concerned look on her round face.

Jou merely smiled and took a couple of steps forward, as if to say that he was fine. Not that that was how he felt. He knew what was going to happen, and he wished kaiba wasn't there to see it. He didn't want it to be because of pity that kaiba would let Jou be here for a while longer, but worrying about that was the furthest thing from Jou's mind.

He smiled again and, without warning, the glass slipped through his fingers, shattering and spilling its contents all over the floor. With a final glance at the brunette before him, Jou fell to his knees and collapsed, finally surrendering to the damaged and sickly demands of his body. His eyes open still, all he heard before his vision went blank was the startled gasp of an old man and the shocked scream of a woman. Then his world went dark, and he heard the rustling of clothes as the kind woman knelt beside him and took him gently into her arms.

"Im sorry…for everything…_Seto_…" he whispered, before his bland and dulled honey eyes closed and his head dropped onto her shoulder.

Jounouchi Katsuya passed out in the kitchen of Kaiba Manor in the arms of the Head Night Maid, being watched with worry by the tired and remarkably concerned Seto Kaiba.

Lady Luck and Madame Fate were certainly having fun tonight.

_

* * *

Well then. I wrote this in one night-whoop go me-it was a good night. There, so now you all can stop complaining._

_Poor Jou huh? Yeah well, you try being out at midnight with a busted ankle in the middle of a freezing cold night and not get sick. Im gonna have it as pneumonia or chronic fatigue or something. good idea, ne?_

_Some of u complained that I wasn't updating this fast enough, so fine- I won't tell you that ill update soon, so I don't offend you when I don't. All I can do is promise that I will try my hardest to get this done for you all, and I send you all my love. Mwaa_

_Tell me what you think should happen next. How should kaiba react? Jou called him Seto in his moment of need. What will Jou do when he wakes up in kaiba manor and don't really remember what happened the night before? What will kaiba do when Mokuba asks for Jou to stay over? _

_R&R, Love Me._


	5. Jounouchi, Scarred In More Ways Than One

_Hey guys. _

_I have spare time so I'm gonna start this…ill get it done ASAP, ok? Hope you like! I have taken a plot advice from some reviewers, and inspired by their suggestions I have designed the story thusly. You know who you are, so thank you so much! Mwaa! Hugs and Seto Kaiba plushies for you all!_

_To the authoress who this is dedicated to…hello Seto'swhiterose! Thank you so much for your dedication and faith! Your kind words spur me on to greatness! I look forward to what you think! Oh, by the way…this is suddenly developing further than I anticipated…it's far from finished! YAY!_

_Oooh and guess what? Tuesday the **25th October** was Seto Kaiba's Birthday! How cool is that? That means he had a birthday really recently! if you are wondering, Jou's is on **January 25th**…coincidence? I THINK NOT! lol if u wanna know the other characters' birthdates, I have them….**ask me in a review or email** and ill send them to you! I celebrate all of their birthdays…is that sad? Lol _

_cough anyway…_

_And-a here we go…_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Gathering the unconscious blonde gingerly in her large arms, Alice took Jou to a spare room on the 2nd floor. Placing him gently in the bed, she brushed the hair out of his face and started at the heat emanating from his forehead. He had a fever, yet his thin form was shivering slightly. Deeply concerned, she pulled the sheets over him and slipped gently out of the room.

She would need to convince Master Kaiba to allow the boy to be checked over by a doctor. He was definitely sick, and she had a suspicion that it may be pneumonia, remembering with a grimace when the younger Master Kaiba had fallen ill one winter. Jou was also physically exhausted and injured. Things could get dangerous if he wasn't taken care of quickly.

She re-emerged in the kitchen to find that Charles had gone and Master Kaiba was sitting tiredly on the same seat that Jou had before. He was crouched over, his head in his hands. He was breathing deeply and his eyes were closed. He barely moved as she walked in, but the inclination of his head signalled that he knew she was there. Alice walked in and picked up the phone handset, then walked back over to her boss and thrust it under his nose. He looked up at her tiredly and his eyes narrowed.

"What's this for?" he asked roughly, his voice harsh with exhaustion. Alice raised an eyebrow.

"What do you think it's for? Making phone calls, of course!" she said pointedly, making a 'duh' face. She shook it further under his nose. He pushed it away with a large hand and gave her a stern look.

She was lucky there was none of the other staff around, or he would have to reprimand her for talking back. He sighed inwardly. He let this woman get away with too much. He couldn't help it that she was Mokuba's favourite, otherwise he would have taken the chance to fire her the first time she had flouted his authority. What was worse was that she often included the other staff in her plans and schemes, mostly the other Head Servant. If Charles wasn't Mokuba's _second _favourite he would have fired _him_ a long time ago too.

"I know it's for making calls, woman." He said slowly, sitting up straighter. "What I mean is: who _exactly_ am I going to call at-" he checked his watch "-2:30 on a Sunday morning?" He smirked at the prospect of having to go to work in a few hours on no sleep. Alice frowned and swatted his hand out of her way with the phone handset, waving it again in his face.

"Perhaps you are too tired to remember-or even care-but since about 10 minutes ago there has been a rather sickly and injured boy in one of your guest rooms." She reminded him, an annoyed glint in her small eyes. "Remember him yet?"

Seto shrugged and once again tried to push the handset away. "So? Why do I need the phone?" he asked sharply, tilting his head to one side. Alice puffed up pompously, recognizing the mock in his voice. He smirked and continued. "Like I said before, Head Maid- who am I going to call this early-"

"A _DOCTOR_, Kaiba! A professional!" She almost yelled, waving the phone in her hand agitatedly. Seto frowned sternly at her and she settled back down again from her outburst, looking distinctly ruffled. "Honestly!" she said with a sigh.

Seto frowned. "And _why_ do I want a doctor?" he asked slowly, rubbing his tired eyes with the hand that wasn't shielding his face from the wavering phone handset which had made a particularly violent jerk towards his face during her loss of self control. "I didn't think being tired made it necessary for me to be checked over by a doctor." He smirked at himself and at the stubborn woman in front of him. Alice huffed and batted him lightly on the head, not refraining just because he was her employer.

"NOT YOU! To take a look at _the boy_! He's ill-cant you tell?" she snapped angrily. Seto looked up again, blinking tiredly at the woman standing stubbornly in front of him. She smirked. "Really Sir, you can be so thick sometimes. Now are you going to call the doctor? Or, are you going to allow a teenage boy to die in your house?"

Alice watched with satisfaction as the cogs slipped into place. If Jou was incapacitated at his personal residence and the media or the boy's father discovered it, Seto could get into a lot of trouble. He growled in annoyance and accepted the handset with a swipe. Alice grinned and walked out of the room to check on their guest. Seto watched her leave with a scowl on his face before quickly punching in the number of one of his personal medical staff.

'_The sooner this is over with, the sooner he is out of my house, out of my way and out of my life.'_ Seto thought stubbornly, listening to the dial tone as the other man no doubt fumbled for his phone in the dark. Hearing it pick up, Seto barked "This is Seto Kaiba. I need you at my mansion right away. Do NOT be late, or you're fired. Be here in 10." and hung up. He dropped the handset on the table and massaged his temples.

It had been a long night.

* * *

There was a knock at the front door exactly 9minutes and 37 seconds after Seto had made the call (he had been timing impatiently on his watch, fully prepared to go through with his threat) and he took his time sweeping towards the door, opening it roughly. There was a middle-aged and extremely tired looking man wearing a crumpled suit and holding a large suitcase standing in front of the ill tempered master of the house. Dr. Liam Walker stifled a yawn and shivered in the cold morning air, drawing his jacket in with his hands. Without saying a word Seto moved out of the way and the shaking man obediently walked inside. Seto closed the door and the doctor turned, offering a hand in greeting. Seto ignored it and gave the man a piercing stare.

"I want this done as fast as possible, Liam. No formalities, no bullshit, no time wasting doctor crap." He snapped icily, turning his back and stalking towards the stairs. Liam gulped and withdrew his hand, making a note of the formidable mood that the billionaire was in. He rubbed his tired eyes and followed the young man a few more steps.

"So, who and where is the patient?" he asked timidly in his thick and gentle voice, eyeing Seto with subtle curiosity. Master Kaiba didn't look sick, but who else would he have called a doctor for? If it was for Mokuba he would have called for Dr. Jones, who was Mokuba's personal attendant; Liam was usually called on to tend for his staff. But all of them were currently in perfect health, according to the health inspection a week ago. So who…?

"His name is Jounouchi Katsuya and he's upstairs in room 12." Seto replied coldly, giving Liam the impression that he was not happy about the presence of this individual. Seto started to move away, indicating that the older man continue up the stairs. He continued, looking coldly over his shoulder. "I'm sure you will find that he is currently being tended for by the Head Night Maid. Hurry up and get this over with."

He stalked away down a corridor, leaving the still shivering man to stand there with no further instructions. Knowing the Kaiba Mansion almost by memory, he quickly made his way to his latest patient.

* * *

"Well, Sir, I have the diagnosis for your young guest."

An hour later, standing outside of Room 12's door, the doctor addressed Seto and the two Heads of Service concerning what exactly was wrong with the blonde boy. Liam stood there, hands clasped in front of him, delivering his findings as quickly as possible. Seto Kaiba was right in front of him and looking extremely tired. His temper was frightening and unpredictable, especially when he was physically exhausted. Liam wanted to leave as soon as possible, especially after the Master would hear what he had to say.

"Mr. Katsuya has a high fever, and is suffering from mild yet still possibly dangerous pneumonia. His ankle is also heavily sprained-I'm very impressed that he didn't break it, but it was close nevertheless. Aside from that I can conclude that he is severely exhausted, both in body and mind." He said, looking at each of them closely before continuing. They all stood silently, listening with attention. Liam inclined his head towards Alice, referring to one of their previous conversations. "From what I have been informed, the situation that he was in with these thugs was stressful, dangerous and tiresome-to say the least. This boy is very lucky indeed, and what he needs now is comfort and attention. Am I understood?"

Alice and Charles nodded in agreement, but Seto didn't move an inch. He glared at a man years older than him and immediately the doctor gulped, the hairs on the back of his neck raised. He hated that glare…the fear it instilled in its victims was inescapable.

"Well?" Seto snapped, irritation lacing his words. "How long does he have to stay here for?"

Liam shuffled his feet, not wanting to give the professional answer that the angry man obviously didn't want to hear. But it was his duty as a doctor and it would do more harm than good if he lied. There was no possible excuse to allow that boy to be moved to another location. His health simply wasn't good enough. Liam was immediately struck that Seto seemed almost desperate to get rid of this young boy. His interest piqued, he wondered what the detached businessman could possibly have against this teenage boy.

"I'm sorry Sir, but Mr. Katsuya cannot be moved to another location, at least not for another two days. He must first regain consciousness and then-"

"NO!" Seto shouted, eyes glinting in anger. Alice, Charles and Liam jumped at the sudden loudness and his furious voice echoed through the mansion. "I wouldn't have him here for _two hours_, LET ALONE TWO DAYS!"

"SIR, I MUST DISAGREE!" Alice shouted over the top of him, drowning out his orders and silencing him. She gave him a reprimanding look and then breathed deeply, blushing at the stunned expression on the doctor's face. He had never heard her raise her voice before, as she was always such a polite, soft spoken, gentle woman. She grinned and winked at him, and he immediately relaxed.

Charles was frozen on the spot, not from surprise but from fear-the look on his Masters face was enough to make him want to crawl down into a hole and cry. Alice didn't seem to notice the piercing glare of anger aimed in her general direction, instead appealing to the doctor with a smile.

"So the boy shouldn't be moved until at least Tuesday, is that correct dear?" she asked kindly, her eyes twinkling. He nodded and avoided looking at Seto, who was fuming silently. Liam turned to him and gathered his nerve. _He_ was the professional, and he wouldn't be overruled by a petulant and tired teenager, regardless of his position in the society!

"That's right. As I was trying to say before, he is not yet well enough. I'm sorry Sir, but you don't have much of a choice. Keeping him here where he is safe and can be tended to by your excellent staff-" at this point Alice smiled brightly at him and the doctor blushed before continuing, his nerve strengthening under the kind woman's watch. "-is also in your _own_ best interest, as I doubt that Mr. Katsuya, his significant others _or_ family would be impressed with your lack of concern. Be careful, Sir. That is my only warning to you. Be _very_ careful." He stood up to his full height as he spoke, looking down on the young master with authority.

Seto snorted. _'Significant others? Ha! That mutt has no partner…'_ he said to himself, wondering for a brief moment later why he had even thought about it. The words 'significant other' had caught his attention for some reason, but the idea of the blonde with a girl was almost impossible to comprehend. Jou was hopeless with women of all ages and seemed to be awkward even around his cheerleading buddy, Anzu. An uncomfortable feeling settled in his stomach as the thought of an aroused and naked Jou 'entertaining' a scantily clad faceless woman swam through his minds eye. He caught himself shudder in horror and he felt an emotion clench at his insides; an unfamiliar and severe reaction to the thought of the golden boy with another.

He shook his head, realizing that he had trailed off in thought at the worst possible moment and that Alice was clearing her throat in an attempt to bring him back to reality. The doctor was staring at him in anger, obviously under the impression that Seto was ignoring everything he had said. Seto thought back to the end of the doctors little speech and growled, recognizing the order that was well placed in the old mans wording. This was a threat and a precaution that Seto would have to address quickly and quietly. He would keep Jou here until he was well enough to leave, and then have nothing more to do with him. He would be gone, and out of his way. For good.

"Fine." Seto snapped, sneering at the older man, who managed not to flinch. He once again turned his back on them all and spoke over his shoulder as he walked away. "Inform Alice of what she must do to care for the patient, leave the necessary medicine needed for his recovery and then get out of my sight. I want you gone: the sooner, the better. Better for you, that is."

He smirked at the mortified expression that the doctor had suddenly made, and then he walked down the corridor and out of their sight. Charles said something about 'making a very strong cup of coffee and checking on the young Master' and he followed after Seto, his long silver-grey ponytail swinging with his steps.

"Don't worry about him, he's always like that." Alice piped up, giving a half sad and half laughing smile. "He's always in such a bad mood. You get used to it after a while."

Liam smiled in return, glad that there was someone in this empty place who knew how to be cheerful. He remembered the story she had told him of the boy's journey and felt sorry for him, as evidently things were hardly going to get better here in this cold place. He brushed a hand through his black hair and sighed.

"Well, come with me then, ma'am." He said kindly, offering an arm. She took it, a slight blush tingeing her cheeks. She looked at him quizzically, wondering where they were going. He answered with a soft smile and a nod back at the door. "Ill instruct you on the proper care for Mr. Katsuya. I'm sure you must be a fast learner…incredible beauty often comes with incredible intelligence." He felt his heart leap in his chest at the shy and flattered giggle the woman let out of her delicate mouth, and he was fascinated by her.

If only he could stay longer…

* * *

Jounouchi awoke to utter darkness. His eyes were tired and the room he was in was in pitch darkness, giving him little to discern from when his eyes were open and when they were closed. His body felt limp and lifeless; the weakness that had consumed him as he had fallen had not ceased, if only gotten stronger with his mental surrender. He was lying on his side, gently tucked into the large bed. He should have felt safe in the warmth enclosure of the sheets, but he felt panic grip like an iron ball in his throat; where was he? Memories of last night flooded back to him as he laid there; faceless people and muddled images of confused places. He remembered running, far from where he had wanted to go, and he had ended up at…nothing but dark blankness.

He frowned-his mind wasn't cooperating. It refused to concentrate, and instead brought to his attention the numb and bitter pain of his legs and ankle and the throes of a violent shiver he had not noticed he was in. He frowned in surprise at the involuntary quaking of his body-he was far from cold. In fact his skin burned and he felt the heat emanating from his face. Something wasn't right, but he found that whichever way he lay he couldn't get comfortable; at least half of his body complained with each new position he attempted. He turned onto his back in the hope of comfort and stared at the ceiling, the simple pleasure he sought evading him still. His hands clenched around the soft fabric of the bed sheets in frustration, a desperate urge to run still hunting in his mind. This place was unfamiliar and he had to get away. But to do that he first he needed to know where he was.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door and he started, swearing colourfully at the headache that his sudden movement had spiked. The door swung quietly open and a large figure moved silently into the room. Jou turned his head and squinted, trying to discern the figure from the shadows that surrounded them. The shadow walked wordlessly to his bedside, sitting on a small chair that Jou hadn't seen there before. He shrank away into the bedding, an immediate reaction he associated with all others when it concerned something he couldn't see and didn't trust. A soft voice spoke from the darkness, but the words clogged in his confused brain and it took him a few seconds to recognize that the voice was familiar and kind, and that she was talking to him.

"Jou? Jou dear? Are you awake?" She said, softly whispering to him, a pale hand reaching out to touch him on his shoulder. He relaxed, but only a little. She would not hurt him-he knew that; but who she was still hid in his memory. He made a small sound in his throat to signal that he was awake and he heard a sigh of relief come from the stranger.

"Oh, thank goodness!" said the kind voice in relief. There was a rustling motion, and the shades in front of a window to Jou's left opened slightly, allowing small slivers of bight morning light to filter in and light up the room. Jou watched from his restricted viewpoint as the shadows slithered away when the light replaced them, and he was finally able to see the person who he had realised was still talking to him. He concentrated in on her voice, catching what was the end of a sentence.

"-so worried. You've been asleep for almost a day." He frowned at this, but was more focused on the strange yet familiar woman. She was pottering about the room, arranging things, checking his forehead and moving what looked like a pile of clothes to the end of his bed. She hardly looked at him, hurrying about with ease and practice, speaking loudly and happily. She paused and looked over at him, a dawning realisation on her face. "Oh, you might not know what day it is-its Monday, dear-at about 10 in the morning." She smiled again and clasped her hands together with a sudden thought. "Oh my! Young master Mokuba will be so pleased to know you are awake! This is wonderful! You're making a good recovery, but…" she frowned a bit, looking away from Jou as if not wanting to complete her sentence. "So anyway, how do you feel, dear?" she asked motherly, coming back to sit down and smile at him softly.

Jou didn't answer, because of two reasons. First of all, he didn't trust his voice to speak, as his head was spinning and he didn't want to open is mouth for fear of another substance exiting his body other than words. Secondly, he was far too deep in thought about what she had been chattering to disrupt his line of thought with speech. He had heard a name in particular that spiked his attention. Mokuba. Who…oh wait! He knew that name. It was very familiar to him, and with a sudden wave of blurs a visage of images returned to his memory. Mokuba Kaiba, knocking him over, the kind maid that gave him chocolate…the anger and the fear, shouting, a very furious man whose name was…Jou struggled with the memories, still feeling slightly unconscious.

Seto Kaiba.

It hit him. He was in the Kaiba Mansion. He had passed out on their kitchen floor, tired from running all night. It flooded back to him, his mind clearing with each passing minute. Herat and the thugs. The sight of the Kaiba Mansion from the gloom of the street, the pain of the injury he had sustained while fleeing…it was all there. Everything. His exhaustion, his fear as Kaiba hunted him down. The sound of his voice, harsh and cruel still echoed in his ears. His oncoming loss of consciousness, his final surrender to the darkness, the name he said as he left them in the kitchen…the words were clear in his mind and it ran as if on repeat through his thoughts.

"_Im so sorry…for everything…Seto…"_

He sat up suddenly, shocked and horrified. What had he said that for! He had called to him, the one who had caused him so much pain over the years and he had apologised for something that wasn't his fault! Jou suddenly yelped out loud and clutched at his head, a pounding hammer-like force bashing on his temples. The headache was ferocious and he felt a tight grip on his burning skin; Alice had grabbed his arms to support him as he fell backwards towards the pillows. Without a word she brought a glass of water to his lips. He sipped it and felt the cold liquid run smoothly down the back of his throat, giving a welcome chill to his burning body. She put the glass down and brought to his mouth two large pills, round and white in appearance. He took them gently in his mouth, eyes squeezed shut with the pain of his headache, and he accepted a second sip from the glass and swallowed the tablets, breathing steadily as Alice placed him gently back down on the bed.

Jou fell silent, eyes closed and body limp. After a long while the pain in his head began to subside, allowing him to think clearly again. He blinked and opened his eyes to find the room bright with sunlight and the round comforting face of the Head Night Maid smiling down at him. Alice hadn't moved from his side; she had stayed faithfully and watched over him as the medicine took effect.

"There, much better now, right dear?" she asked motherly, watching with satisfaction when Jou nodded without wincing. "Oh good...that's very good dear."

Jou sat up a bit and Alice propped the pillow up behind him, allowing him to face her easily. He yawned and gave her a warm smile. He knew there was a reason why he liked this woman-she was nice and kind; on of the few people he could trust. He grinned to himself. It was so ironic that this lovely woman was here, of all places, in the dreaded mansion of the coldest man alive.

"What happened after I fell?" he asked softly, his voice sounding loud in his own ears even though he knew he was whispering.

She smiled kindly, fixing the sheets around him as she replied. "Well, I brought you up here. Then I convinced Master Kaiba to ring Liam, oh I mean- Dr. Walker-" she blushed at the slip, looking away shyly. "Anyway, he came over, diagnosed you and told Master Kaiba you have to stay here where you can be healed until Tuesday at the earliest."

Jou snorted. "I bet that didn't go down too well." He said with a smile, imagining with accuracy the anger and frustration he must have caused the other boy. Alice nodded in agreement.

"Yes, he was ropable. But Dr. Walker put his foot down as the professional, and Master Kaiba caved in." she frowned for a bit. "It was strange actually. He gave up so easily. That's not like him-he usually fights to the death."

Jou nodded in agreement, fully aware of the stubborn and proud way the brunette conducted himself. Alice smiled at him again. _'So they do know each other…I wonder…Kaiba has been acting extra strange ever since Jou arrived here...'_ She thought, thinking back to the distracted and preoccupied manner the Master had been conducting himself these past two days. She assumed that Mokuba was good friends with the blonde, as he had been constantly harping Alice for information on whether Jou was awake and any better or not. Mokuba sure was persistent.

"Anyway dear, I brought up some clothes for you to change into. We couldn't change your clothes while you were unconscious-it would have been unadvisable to move you. That and we needed your consent." She smiled at the embarrassed blush that spread over his cheeks and he thanked his lucky stars that they hadn't done it while he was out cold. He nodded, feeling the dirty clothes rub on his skin with disgust. He sat up further and pushed the sheets back a little bit, holding a hand out for the clothes.

Alice reached over and passed him the pants and socks. She turned away respectfully and he slipped out of his dirty and dusty pants, dropping them to the floor and pulling the black pants up his thin legs. It was maybe a size to small for him, but they still felt more comfortable that his own pair. He toed off his socks and slipped the others on easily. He then reached his arms above his head to pull his shirt off, but a shot of pain triggered through his back and he yelped in surprise, dropping his arms back to his side.

Alice turned around and saw the pained expression on his face. He blushed at her, and timidly he asked for the shirt and if she would help him. She smiled tenderly and sat next to him, so he turned and faced his back to her, raising his arms as high as he could without it hurting. Alice helped him pull the crinkled shirt over his head, small whimpers of pain escaping from his lips as she saw the muscles of his back spasm. She cooed soothingly and finally brought the shirt entirely off of his thin form. Staring in shock at what adorned his back and shoulders, she gasped out loud.

"Oh my! You poor thing…"

_GOD THAT'S LONG! It's my biggest yet, but it makes sense since a lot happens. It took me forever to type, so I hope you like the detail I went into for it! I hope you are all happy with me for that. Heheheheee you guys have NO IDEA what is in store for those two stubborn asses! I have plotted the story, and the beginning of the story is DEFINITELY NOT the only angsty part…there's more to come! _

_Id like to make note of the connection between Jou and Seto at this point in time…Seto is not registering what he feels yet, as the emotion is unfamiliar to him…Jou has hardly had time to think about it, but it is obvious that he doesn't hate Kaiba as much as he lets on. And Kaiba hates Jou just that little too much, if u gets my meaning-it's not his true emotion…_

_Also I enjoyed the relationship building I have been doing between Alice and Dr. Liam. Do you like him? I do…hes a brave man, but also obedient and polite. He obviously likes Alice, and Alice likes him. Somehow it works, and I am going to be continuing it further if all goes to plan. Its getting steadily more complicated…have you noticed that? Yeah…im beginning to think that I might be a bit out of my league…I don't wanna screw this up, coz its my favourite and is dedicated to a good friend of mine…but I doubt my own abilities… waaah! No fair! If its not writers block, its self doubt! Grrr_

_Lol. Thankyou for reading, and to be continued. Love you all!_

_YaoiFanLady 2. _

_Ps: I will give you a taste of next chapter, but more happens **before** this does: _

_-- At school next day Jou looks ill. Seto and Jou snap and a fight ensues, but halfway through the fight Jou collapses again. What will Seto do? --_

_Wait and see! I always love suggestion for stories, so ill take your feedback into consideration. You want me to put your idea in the story, ill be glad to incorporate it-just leave it in a review! _

_Bye-bye!_


	6. Sick Of Being Here

_Hey guys. I have decided to keep going even though I only just posted the 5th chapter. I figure you will be happy with me and I'm on a roll anyway…my muses are going haywire! _

_Hello Seto'swhiterose…yes I'm going to mention you again! OH MY GOD your review was so huge! I was so happy when I read it. Thankyou so much for everything. This is dedicated to you, by the way, so obviously it's nice to hear that you like it. I love this…and I'm so glad I can share my writing with you! Do you really like my style? I've had so many complaints that it's too longwinded. bah_

_To everyone-I'm so sorry that it's going so slow, but I have a lot of development to do. Of course, once this explaining is out da way that leaves a lot more time and space for action! _

_Thank me and love me and read and review! Mwaa, read on!_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Alice sat back and stared in horror at Jou's back, eyes wide as she surveyed the damage. Scars littered his thin yet muscular body. There was a large pinkish white one underneath his last rib and quite a few left behind from severe grazes and scratches over the expanse of his toned back. A large bluish black bruise was on his shoulder blade and small fist sized bruises littered his lower back.

He turned around and faced her, wondering why she was so shocked. She gasped even louder and she raised her hands to her mouth when she saw his front; his back had many more scars and bruises, but they were all healed and old. His chest told a different and more recent story. The large scabbed cut on his chest across his abdomen was red and angry, but Jou didn't seem to flinch as his skin stretched around it. Also there was a fairly recent scar, still raw and red across his abdomen and curling around to his hip. A few scars were on his upper chest and a decent bruise was forming just under his left collarbone. As horrible as they were, something far more worrying caught the Maid's attention and she stared in horrified concern at his ribs. His skin was perpetually darkened in a light brown bruise darker than his slightly tanned skin, the bone of his rib showing through his thin muscled chest. What alarmed her the most was that she recognized that it was out of place, as if it had been badly broken and then left to heal by itself. She shook her head in dismay; his body told her that this beautiful young boy was being severely abused.

"What?"

She started as the young victim spoke up, his honey coloured eyes wide and glittering; the blonde was staring at her in confusion. She frowned and let out a sigh. This poor child. He was so young, so innocent and look what he's already gone through! And Seto wanted to get rid of him while he was still sick! Suddenly anger welled in her chest. She was a lover of children, being devoid of her own, and stood fiercely for their rights. She would have a talk to Master Kaiba. Jou could not leave…not yet.

"It's nothing dear…" she said quietly, looking away to his left, ashamed that she had stared so thoughtlessly. He looked down at his body and a dawned realisation hit his face. He sighed and ran a long fingered hand consciously over his chest, fixing her with an unreadable stare.

"Ask, Alice. I know ya wana, so ya might as well jus' ask anyway." He said, looking down at his scars and speaking in a hollow and expressionless voice. She sighed with eyebrows furrowed and laid a hand gently on the boys shoulder.

"Who did this to you, Jou?" Alice asked quietly. Jou could see the pain in her eyes and hear the compassion in her voice. She waited anxiously for his answer, hoping desperately that it wasn't from someone who was meant to protect him. He looked up at her slowly and echoes of pain swam in his enthralling eyes as he spoke.

"My father…" Jou said softly, as if he feared to say his name. Alice sat up in shock as her worst fears were confirmed and her eyes swelled with angry tears. Startled by her reaction, he held up a hand and tried to reassure her. "Well, dose earlier ones are, from mah back 'nd front. Back wen I was still too young ta hold him off 'nd defend myself…id get hurt jus' by fallin ova tryin ta run away from him. Dese more recent ones…well…" he sighed and gingerly lined the outside of the cruel red slash on his chest and the crusted and raw one on his abdomen, thinking.

It was then that Alice realised that Jou wasn't going to say anymore. He had lost the light form his eyes and was facing away from her, pensively touching the physical reminders of his torment. She knew it wouldn't be wise to push him for answers, so left it as what he had told her by his own choice. She silently handed him the shirt, and he obediently allowed her to put it on, turning his back to her once more. He made no sound at all when the cut on his abdomen split and bled slightly when he stretched his arms above his head. Pulling the shirt over his skin tenderly she felt his flesh burn with a high fever, spasms and shivers passing through him constantly. She watched with pity as he crawled tiredly back into the bed and laid his head on the pillow, eyes closed as the vicious headache began its triumphant return.

Alice stood up quietly, gathering the unclean clothes in her arms. She looked back over at the motionless figure to see that Jou was already asleep; a look of the peace only sleep can bring on his sharp face. Sighing again, she closed the blinds and left the room, whispering a goodnight as she left.

* * *

The chime of the old oak grandfather clock rang through the Kaiba Mansion, informing its inhabitants that it was 11:00am. Mokuba sped from his bedroom and down the stairs towards the kitchens, skipping steps and sliding down the banister. He laughed at the face of one of the maids he almost ran into and dodged around her, her curse ringing in his ears. He barged through the kitchen door and ran into the back of the Head Butler, who stumbled forwards with a yelp. Mokuba steadied himself before he fell over and the butler turned around to see who had hit him. As soon as he saw the young boy standing sheepishly in front of him, he swept his long hair out of his face and the angry expression on his face disappeared.

"Ah, there you are, young Master." Charles said good-naturedly, giving him a smile. He directed the two maids he was instructing to give them some privacy and they left obediently. He turned to face Mokuba properly and bowed, hands clasped in front of him.

Mokuba sighed. He wasn't as fussy with etiquette as his big brother was, but the staff was still obedient and respectful anyway. It bothered him slightly and he preferred it when they treated him like a friend; it was one of the reasons why he liked Alice so much. Charles was so particular about showing respect that he wouldn't obey Mokuba when he was instructed specifically not to do it. It sometimes drove Mokuba up the wall with frustration.

"What, were you looking for me?" he replied, peering around the room as he spoke. Charles chuckled; he knew who the young Master was really after. Alice had promised Mokuba that she would tell him when Jou woke up, so the insistent boy had been following her around like a shadow and asking every hour on the hour if he was awake yet. It was driving the others on the staff a little crazy, but Alice was as patient as ever and always answered without anger. Charles admired her for her tolerance, as he was sure he would have snapped at the 300th question mark.

Alice hadn't gone home after her graveyard shift had ended the night that the boy had arrived. She had refused to leave, insisting that she was the only one who could care for their guest properly. Master Kaiba ordered that she go home because her presence wasn't needed, but Alice spent hours of arguments trying to persuade him otherwise. The only way that the stubborn woman had talked her boss into letting her stay was on the term that it wouldn't be counted as overtime. This meant that she was there on her own time and Master Kaiba didn't have to pay her. Seeing no point in arguing when clearly he was in the advantage, the Master had permitted her to stay and tend to the boy. Alice had hardly slept since Jou had collapsed, working tirelessly and doing everything she could to help. She had really taken a shine to the kid, that much was clear.

"No, young Sir. **I** wasn't, but I do believe that Alice may have something to tell you." Charles replied with a grin, his eyes sparkling. "She is currently talking to your brother, but if you are quick you may catch her as she leaves his office." Mokuba's eyes widened in glee as the old man spoke and a huge grin spread over his face. Without another word, he dashed out of the kitchen and sped up the stairs, heading to his brothers main office on the next floor up.

Charles chuckled, tightened his ponytail and returned to work. _'Things have certainly become different around here since that blonde teenager arrived.' _Charles thought to himself as he bustled through to the library. He smiled. _'But change is always nice.'_

* * *

The sound of raised voices was the first thing to catch Mokuba's attention as he walked quickly towards his brother's office. The door was slightly ajar and the aggravated tones of his brother and the Maid were coming through and into the hallway. It sounded as though Seto was arguing against whatever it was that Alice wanted, but Mokuba grinned. He doubted that Seto would win; Alice always came away victorious whenever they fought.

He crept over to the door and tired to peer through the gap, only managing to see a small sliver of the room. That didn't bother him too much though, as he could hear exactly what they were arguing about. Mokuba didn't like the idea of eavesdropping and was about to walk away and wait until they were finished to pester Alice, but the mention of Jou caught his attention. Reconsidering his morals on listening in on private conversations, he glued his ear to the door, catching his brother in mid-sentence.

"-is enough! It's a NO, Alice! That mutt cannot stay here any longer than necessary, no matter what you may think!" Seto snapped angrily. Mokuba heard a bang and he was sure that Seto had slammed a hand on the desk. Alice's frustrated voice came from a little closer to his left, her voice sounding louder. She stood in front of his desk, and from what Mokuba had seen she had her hands on her hips.

"Sir, he cannot leave on Tuesday! He is too sick, and I doubt that he will be well enough to-"

"That's not the reason you are risking your job here to argue with me, Maid. What's your _real_ excuse to keep that geek here?" Seto said coldly, and Mokuba almost heard the maid wince at the icy threat.

"…Well…there is something else, but…" Alice admitted quietly, trailing off in thought.

"But what?" Seto demanded.

There was a pause for a few minutes, and at this point Mokuba took the chance to take another look inside the room. Seto was standing behind his desk with his arms folded and a severely annoyed look on his face. Alice was indeed to Mokuba's left, her head bowed as she remained silent. She shuffled her feet and Mokuba saw her frame droop as she sighed.

"The boy has been severely abused." She said slowly, looking up at Seto with a sad stare. The young man stood still, face impassive. Alice continued, explaining what she had seen. "His torso, back _and_ front are covered with scars and bruises and he has two large and fresh wounds on his front. It…it's terrible…" Seto nodded and sat down again, eyes closed as he listened. When Alice faltered, he waved a hand and she went on. "He cannot go home, Sir. Whoever is doing this to him can't get him while he is here, and from what I have seen he has taken years and years of physical abuse. God knows what will happen if he returns home still ill and weak! I can't let him get hurt, sir." Her voice cracked and Mokuba felt his heart break. Alice was on the verge of tears and Mokuba understood why she felt so strongly about this. Jou was in danger. He closed his eyes and heard Alice say one final plea, her voice rich with emotion. "Please don't send him to more suffering, Seto. Please…"

Seto remained silent, eyes closed as he leaned backing his high-backed leather chair. He brought his fingertips together and placed his forehead gently on them, thinking. Finally he looked up at her and stared, his eyes swimming with only a few emotions. Mokuba new that look, and it did not bide well for Jou's future. Alice bit her lip nervously, and Seto shook his head.

"He goes home on Tuesday, Alice. No excuses." Seto said slowly, watching the woman go red in the face with anger. She opened her mouth to argue, but Seto held up one long fingered hand and she fell silent. "That's final. Im sorry." He said the last bit quietly, a small amount of real emotion in his words. It wasn't enough to comfort the devastated woman however, as she balled her fists and growled in anger at her boss.

Mokuba had seen and heard enough. His brother was being unfair and really mean to Jou. Alice was making a good effort at trying to help Mokuba's friend, so where she had failed he would win. His big brother couldn't say no to both of them, no matter how much he wanted to be rid of Jou. Mokuba steeled his nerve, took a deep breath and concentrated, feeling his eyes well with tears. It was his gift and his brother's curse; Mokuba, after years of experiments and training, had become adept at crying when he wanted to. His brother had never said 'no' to Mokuba when he was crying. Crocodile tears ran down his cheeks slowly, and Mokuba tried a hearty sniff. Satisfied with his effort, he pushed open the door and walked into the large room.

Alice turned and stared at the silently weeping boy with surprise. Seto sat up straighter and eyed his brother with a strange glint in his eyes. Mokuba tried a huge sniff and pretended to shake with sobs of misery. He felt the tears run down his cheeks heavily and his bleary brown eyes stared reproachfully at his brother. Alice walked over and knelt down, pulling the boy into her arms and cooing gently.

"What's the matter, dear?" she asked softly, patting Mokuba comfortingly on the back. Mokuba let out a masterful fake hiccup and he blinked, shedding a few more tears before he spoke, his voice quivering after years of practise.

"I-I heard that…that Jou is getting hurt really bad, and…that he has to go back and get hurt more and stuff…and its so unfair, and-and its just…" he said, his voice full of worry and pain. He let out a sob and buried his face into Alice's shoulder, crying loudly. In between gasps for breath he let out a few sentences to do with 'wanting Jou to be safe' and 'not wanting him to go'.

Alice sighed and patted the crying child slowly, giving Seto a sad glance. Seto stood up and paced around his chair, his fingers massaging his temples. He hated to see Mokuba cry, especially when knew he could do something to make him feel better. He had long given up fighting against scenarios that obviously were against him, and it seemed clear to the teenager that he could do nothing in his favour. He sighed heavily, resolving to never think of this instance of weakness again. He looked over to his little brother who was still crying into Alice's shoulder. He felt his heart grow heavy and he dreaded to speak the words he obviously had no choice in saying.

"Alright Mokuba. Katsuya can stay here-until he is well, but I want nothing to do with him in the meantime." Seto said dully, facing his brother with a defeated look on his thin face. He was going to regret saying that, he knew it. "Just stop crying, and stay away from him for a while. He needs to sleep so that he can get better and leave!"

Mokuba immediately stopped crying with the exception of the occasional teary sniff and smiled. He looked up at Alice and she smiled back, giving the small black haired boy a big hug. Mokuba watched as Seto scowled and turned his back on them. Clearly it was time for them to leave. Mokuba grabbed Alice's hand and led her out of the room, grinning broadly and eyes sparkling in triumph now that Seto couldn't see him. Alice shook her head. Mokuba was as evil and manipulative as his older brother but at least it was for a good cause and not for the bitter and cold ends that Seto used his own gifts for.

Seto stood with his back to them as they left, wondering vaguely if they were in on this together. It was one hell of a coincidence. Or maybe it was just the gnawing in his stomach that Seto got whenever he thought about that mutt was making him a bit paranoid. He doubted that the events were all related, so he satisfied himself with the thought that he had Jou at his mercy. He could do whatever he liked to him now that the blonde was in _his _territory. Seto smirked as he sat back down in his leather chair. The idea of Jounouchi Katsuya at his whim seemed appealing to him somehow, but the thought of the thin and lithe blonde in a bed grew even more interesting. He shook his head and banished those thoughts from his head, convincing his body and mind that he was delusional from lack of sleep. He grinned and decided that he was going to go pay the boy a visit.

* * *

Jou was dozing lightly, gently toeing the line between awake and asleep. His fever was down and his headache was dissipating. The pills were working wonders and Jou was thankful he was being cared for. He was just contemplating about rolling over when he heard the handle of the door move and the hinges creak. Someone was coming in. Jou pretended to be sleeping in case it was that young maid that kept on sneaking in to see him. Apparently she thought he was worth getting caught over, but Jou didn't take it as flattery. He didn't like the idea of the young woman watching him as he slept; on one occasion she had even tried to wake him but he hadn't liked that either. The attention he received from her seemed pointless and irritating.

The person walked in and grabbed the chair next to the bed. Jou couldn't see who it was, as his back was facing them. There was a soft thump and the scent of the person washed over him. It was subtle yet intriguing-he thought it was vaguely familiar but he couldn't place who the smell belonged to. Whoever they were, they were sitting right next to him. When Jou didn't stir there was a small noise of irritation and a large hand gripped his shoulder, rolling him over by force. Jou allowed himself to be moved, opening his eyes to meet a very surprising face.

Seto kaiba was sitting next to him, gazing into his eyes with an unreadable expression on his face. Jou blinked and rolled completely over, facing Kaiba and returning the stare. When the brunette said nothing, Jou frowned. He had just noticed that the blue eyed boy's hand was still lightly on his shoulder. It felt strange to be touched like that by him. Whenever the two of them came into contact it was usually with the intent to cause harm, yet this touch was gentle, soft and also slightly hesitant. Jou felt his heart skip a beat and wondered if it was the fever that was bringing the blush to his cheeks.

Seto seemed to have noticed that he was still in contact too because he removed his hand and instead put it on the bed next to Jou's body. Using it to steady himself, Seto reached over and whispered into Jou's ear.

"Just so you know, I didn't agree to this," He murmured softly, letting out a growl to reinforce his displeasure. "But I have been _persuaded_ to allow you to stay here until you are well enough to leave." He leant back again and surveyed Jou's face as the words registered and the blonde sank into thought.

Jou watched the distaste and dulled anger swim in the pools of azure and realised that he wasn't welcome. Seto had made that extremely clear already. He needed to get to school, he needed to get home…there was so much he should be doing, and instead he was being a burden to the few nice people in this god forsaken place. He had to call his friends as well. He couldn't stay here. And besides, he felt better already. The pills were doing him good and he hadn't needed the last batch as he had no fever or pain. A thought struck him, and it seemed like a good idea. Why didn't he just go home? He didn't need Kaiba's help! He had only wanted it in the first place because he was desperate. Now he was better and could take care of himself. He felt his inner fire return to his slowly rejuvenating body, and anger flared at the cheek kaiba had shown by turning up and personally making Jou feel insignificant. Jou steeled his nerve, resolving to go through with the idea. He wasn't welcome, so the only thing he could do was leave.

'_Screw this shit.'_ Jou thought angrily, glaring at the brunette before him. _'I'm outta here!'_

Seto watched in slight surprise at the anger and frustration swirling in the pools of honey; slowly the entire of Jou's young face followed suit, twisted in rage. Jou sat up and glared at the brunette, barely suppressed hate in his eyes and a slight look of sadness on his face.

"If you don't want me here, then why are you letting me stay, Kaiba?" He shot venomously, sneering at the look on the other boy's face. Affronted at the cold manner with which he was being received, Seto felt his good mood dissipate. Obviously the blonde was mad at him, and Seto was worried to find out what he had done. A grinding on his conscience told him that he cared. It was a scary concept, as he had convinced himself that didn't care about this boy. Or at least, he thought he didn't. But his mind had been playing tricks on him lately. He didn't want to think about the blonde at all, knowing full well that they were so close together. At the same time, all he could do was ponder about him. It was as if Jou had invaded his thoughts deliberately, causing him to lose sleep. This couldn't go on and it frustrated him to no end, because he had no name for the emotion he was getting tired of feeling.

"Im letting you stay out of the kindness of my own heart, mutt." He retorted sarcastically, blinking at the anger he had never seen in this magnitude radiating from Jou. The other boy so close to him scoffed and tapped a hand to Seto's chest, indicating to where his heart was. Seto jumped at the advance; he had not expected Jou to touch him.

"Heart? Kaiba, _you have no heart_!" Jou hissed, sitting up further out of the bed. "There's just a huge black hole! Or are you so insensitive that you don't even know it's gone?" He sneered, seeing shock and fire in the blue eyes. Kaiba was reacting slower than usual, which only irritated Jou more and further convinced him to leave.

Seto frowned and felt a surge of instinctual anger rise through him. He fought it down, knowing that Jou was only baiting him. Jou was making it perfectly clear that he didn't want to be in the mansion and seemed to mirror the feelings Seto was having over the frustration of being so close to one another.

"You want to go, don't you?" Seto asked sharply, giving Jou his piercing stare. Jou didn't flinch at all, and returned with a glare with enough poison to melt steel.

"Yes, I do." He replied shortly, removing his hand from the others chest to run a hand through his hair stressfully. He closed his eyes and felt a small headache return. He didn't need this at the moment. He had hoped to just slip out unnoticed, leaving the easy way. Now he was forced to do it the hard way, arguing with the master of the house over his temporary residence. Having admitted that he wanted to leave now left Jou with the hope that Seto would see his chance and get rid of him. The answer he heard from the cool voice next to him was not the phrase he was waiting for.

"Well you cant."

Jou's eyes shot open and he glared at the smug expression on the brunettes face. "What!"

Seto smiled to himself as the blonde stared at him in surprise. Jou had not been expecting him to say it, and Seto relished the thrill of the commanding position he was in. He watched as the dismay and surprise on Jou's face turned to frustration and anger again. Jou wrenched the sheets back and swung his legs over the side of the bed, forcing Seto to jump to his feet and out of the way. He stared wide eyed as the stubborn and seething boy stood up and breathed deeply, finding his sense of balance. Seto knew he should have ordered Jou to get back into the bed again but the actions of the sick boy were so random that he simply froze. It didn't help that all he could focus on was taking in the fact that Jou was wearing only a shirt and tight pants.

Jou walked slowly over to the end of the bed and grabbed the jacket laying there, toeing on his shoes as he pulled the clothing on his thin form. His head swam, but he breathed deeply and his vision cleared. Looking back, he gave Seto the coldest glare he could muster and turned his back on the still figure. He walked unsteadily to the door, pausing to collect his senses of focus. He pulled it open but didn't look around when Seto finally regained control and spoke, something like desperation in his words.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Home, Kaiba." Came the simple reply and Jou walked out of the door, leaving it wide open.

Seto stood there stunned, and then cursed himself for not stopping the unpredictable teenager. He dashed to the door and looked out into the hall hoping to catch Jou as he walked away, but he was too late.

Jou was gone.

_

* * *

Baum Baum Baum BAUM! drum roll and thunder clap HAHAHaaaa! EEEVIL!_

_Hahahahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa! Another one down! thankyou, thankyou, I sign autographs Mondays and Thursdays. Ill be here till Friday! bows and blows kisses to the adoring audience lol anyway, im so glad that this has come out the way it has because im really quite depressed, but the reasons why are not really within the 'explain in 5 sentences' category. Besides that u probs don't wanna know. _

_So the story continues, and it's snowballing and developing! YAY!_

_Time for DINNER! YEAH!_

_Love to you all, Mwaaz. Kat AKA YaoiFanLady 2_


	7. Seto's Busy Fingers

_Hey guys. _

_Here we go again. Yup I'm still depressed but hey-writing calms me down, so here we are. I have been told that my paragraphs are too huge and that many people don't like them so, ill do my best to please. Also I have been asked to include more dialogue, so give me a chance and I hope u like. _

_I also got ALOT of flames for my last chapter, so eeexcuse me! Many were concerning Seto's extreme behaviour, but you gotta note a few points:_

_Firstly, Kaiba is exhausted, and we all do stupid things when we are tired._

_Secondly, he doesn't know what he feels, and that's enough to make anyone short tempered. _

_Thirdly, he is stressed beyond belief and that also does strange things to a person. _

_Finally, when it comes to things that matter, he can be extremely ignorant and stubborn. He gets so focussed on one thing that it takes a lot to snap him out of it. Let me just say that "that last thing" that forces him to realise everything happens soon...maybe even next chapter… _

_Let me just add that I deliberately made Kaiba do many strange things in that last chapter so that I could explain some of his true emotions that he has to accept in **this** chapter. I** am** pleased that a few dedicated readers picked them up. Im addressing the concerns of my readers and I hope I make you a little more involved in this story._

_Also, if u find any more mistakes, please let me know, so that I may fix them. I ask this only because I am but one and you are all a part of my story. All I ask in return for allowing you to burn me is that you also offer a way for me to fix it. Otherwise I don't wanna hear em! LOL_

_Finally, I love you all. This story would be nowhere without you guys! Mwaa, read on!_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Shock stopped his movements. Dullness spread throughout the teen's body, stopping his impulses from reaching his legs.

Jou was gone. And he had _let_ him go.

Seto felt guilt knot his stomach and he imagined the angry and worried faces of his little brother and his Maid. He had promised to them that he would keep the boy here in his mansion. But he had failed and let the wilful blonde run away. He felt his energy return and he regained control of himself. He could still catch Jou before he left and persuade him to remain where it was safe. But he would have to hurry.

* * *

Seto dashed out of Room 12 and pelted down the hallway, his footsteps against the polished floor barely sounding in his ears. He headed for the main hallway, hoping to catch Jou before he left through the front door.

He desperately hoped he wasn't too late.

Grumbling angrily to himself, Jou stumbled down the last step of the grand staircase and stopped to regain his breath. He straightened his ruffled clothes and stared around, disorientated for a brief second by the creeping thump of his head.

Jou knew that he couldn't go back on this-he was going to leave. After all, Kaiba had already let him so far, so why turn back now? A nagging at the back of his mind told him that he should grab the pills he needed to get better before he left. He turned and walked hurriedly in the direction of the battered kitchen entrance. Before he could get very far Jou heard the echoed shout of his name, and the footsteps of the person who was calling him. Jou stopped, just a little to the left of the main entrance. He stared up the grand staircase and watched in awe as Seto Kaiba dashed to the top of the steps.

Seto stopped and saw Jou there, staring at him. From where he stood, Seto could see the gold of Jou's eyes glint and he steeled his nerve. He would ask Jou to stay. He had to. He had no choice, but his pride was in the process of being severely dented.

He and the blonde had under no circumstances got along; they had never coincided with out a mishap. It seemed absurd to him that he was about to beg this boy to stay, but a surge of bizarre new feelings repressed the old Seto Kaiba. The way the old Kaiba thought was negative towards Jounouchi Katsuya, the aggressive and petulant street punk with a severe attitude problem and a penchant for trouble.

But there, standing guardedly at the bottom of the steps, all Seto could see was a young man with pure stunning honey eyes and glossy hair comparable to spun gold, hurt from years of physical and mental torment…the brunettes heart wrenched.

He _needed_ Jou to stay.

"Jou! Wait!" he shouted. The blonde started at the yell and refocused his attention on the brunette above him, squaring his shoulders and exhaling deeply. Seto took one last breath as a sane man and walked down his grand staircase, his blue gaze never leaving Jou's slight form. He got to the bottom of the stairs and walked slowly towards the blonde, meeting the insolent glare the caramel eyes drilled into him without hostility.

Stopping barely a foot from the glowering teen, Seto stalled and realised he hadn't thought about how he was going to persuade Jou to remain in his house. An awkward silence befell the echoed halls as Seto, unusual for his character, shuffled his feet and dropped his gaze. Jou, noticing the falter, cleared his throat loudly and glanced around the entrance way as Seto blushed and regained his composure.

He still didn't speak.

"What, Kaiba?" Jou broke the silence, shuffling uncomfortably and repositioning onto his undamaged leg.

Seto stared at him, and up close he could see the heated flush on Jou's pale skin. They were so close to each other, yet Jou showed no signs of flinching or surrendering. In fact, Seto admired the strong stance the boy had taken. Still, there were noticeable signs of Jou's illness, and seeing them made Seto frown slightly. Jou's forehead was lined with small beads of sweat and his eyes slid in and out of focus as he met Seto's stare. He favoured his ankle slightly and Jou's thin frame was bent in a tender slouch; Seto knew it was because of his wounds. He cleared his throat and Jou gazed up at him expectantly.

"Please…uh…please don't leave."

Jou blinked. '_Seto said please!'_ he thought, surprised that he had heard that out of the indifferent businessman's mouth. _'What's going on?'_

"Why?" Jou challenged, frowning up at the taller man. "Why should I?"

"Because I…I want you to stay."

"No ya don't! You said dat you didn't agree wit it before, didn't ya?" Jou shot, taking a step towards the taller brunette and ignoring the thud of his head. "You were gonna get rid o' me, even though Im hurt!" Jou saw the uncomfortable look on Seto's face, and he glowered. "You know den…Alice woulda reported to ya…"

He snorted bitterly. _'It didn't stop him from trying…does he really hate me that much?' _He didn't know why he was troubled by that, but the thought that Seto Kaiba hated him enough to want him get in danger seemed to leave an unsettling and distressing feeling in his gut.

Seto frowned, recalling what he had actually said and recognising what Jou was referring to. He had said that he didn't agree, but he technically hadn't _really_ said that he didn't _want_ Jou to stay. But admittedly, he had known about Jou's abuse. He had guessed almost a half year ago that Jou had suffered from domestic violence in the past, when a day at school after a sport class gave it away.

Seto had been walking the corridors alone; preoccupied with a business meeting he had to run after school ended, he was simply walking with his mind in overdrive, not really going anywhere. He had been passing the men's change rooms when an unkempt and preoccupied Jounouchi Katsuya had burst out of the door and ran into him, bouncing off of Seto's chest and swearing vibrantly at the contact.

Loud shouts emitted from the almost closed door behind him and Seto accurately guessed that Jou had started or gotten involved into a brawl. It didn't surprise him that the punk had gotten into more trouble, but he didn't want to hang around and watch the chaos, as much as he would have enjoyed it. It would just waste his time having to be questioned by teachers in the aftermath, and he still had his meeting firmly lodged in his mind.

But the blonde's appearance had caused Seto to stop in his tracks and take notice. Jou's shirt had been unbuttoned and flew out behind him, exposing his pale muscled chest. His hair was ragged and he was gasping heavily for air. When he wasn't fixing Kaiba with a poisonous glare he was glancing behind him every so often to check for followers from the fight. When no one seemed to have noticed that he had disappeared, he straightened up and glowered at the taller student.

Before he opened his mouth to antagonise the brunette, Jou noticed that Seto was staring at his chest. He stood back and looked down; he followed his rival's perceptive eyes to the largest scar on his upper chest and the dark bruise around his (then) recently wounded rib. Anger twisting his young face, Jou immediately drew his shirt around himself and scowled at the intrigued brunette, who snapped his gaze away from the scarred body to frown at Jou questionably. With a loud snarl Jou barged into Seto and threw him off balance as the blonde ran past. Seto had gained his equilibrium long enough to stare into Jou's eyes as he passed, shocked to see the anger heavily outweighed by misery in the honey orbs.

It was then that Seto knew. He had pushed it to the back of his mind, choosing to ignore it rather than confront the mixed emotions the subject surfaced in his being. A show of decency rare in Seto's existence kept him from physically hurting the blonde whenever they got into fights. He had figured that since the young body was already spoiled and broken, there was no point wasting effort denting it further. Instead Seto cunningly kept to his mind games, toying with the blonde's supposed inferior intellect. It had satisfied him enough that he seldom needed to resort to touching Jou in their clashes; his acidic tongue did the damage well enough.

He had assumed that the abuse had stopped as Jou had gotten older and that now all that Jou was suffering from was old wounds. Alice's account informed him that he was incorrect and Jou had not done what Seto had expected from him. He hadn't managed to protect himself, nor retaliate with success. Seto had always supposed that Jou was a street punk with good reason, and that he had no compunction about fighting back to save his own skin. What he hadn't known was that Jou wasn't being attacked from a stranger or a fellow teen punk.

It was his own father. Jou's own flesh and blood, the one meant to protect him and keep him safe when all else failed…Seto's blood boiled at the thought, and understood for a moment where and why Alice stood on the subject. Katsuya Senior was _destroying his own child_. Seto believed strongly in family, and being his little brother's protector and defender had hardened him to uphold the belief that blood ran thicker than water. This was a violation of the one virtuous thing Seto could claim he possessed without an inch of a lie.

He knew now why Jou was still getting hurt; the blonde would never fight with his own family, nor against one he loved. His dedication and tenderness with those close to him was admirable, and Seto knew that Jou still loved his father on the grounds simply that he was his main and possibly only family, regardless of the torment he inflicted.

Disconcertingly, Jou wouldn't have been able to hold his own against his father even if he had wanted to; Seto had seen Katsuya Senior at school once (Jou had gotten into a full scale riot and the headmaster had called his father in for discussion) and had immediately determined the man to be hard-hitting and resilient. He was large, strong and as obstinate as his son, something Seto was sure the two clashed over. Still, the bruises he would see on Jou's hands every so often indicated that Jou would try to hold his own, but Seto's logic suggested it was mostly unsuccessful.

However the night that Jou had arrived, it wasn't his father that he was trying to escape from; it was his other assailant. Seto knew the school thugs well, and had made a strong point of resistance when they had targeted him for the first and last time. They knew that the powerful and influential Seto Kaiba wasn't one to get involved with; they had learned the lesson well. Herat was an effective brute and had enough brain cells to identify a pointless target when he saw one, but Jou was a different case than Seto was.

Their attraction to harassing Jou was an obvious one, and no one dared get in their way for fear of becoming victims themselves. Admittedly, Seto sometimes shared some of their feelings. At times when Jou opened his brash mouth and spoke, all Seto wanted to do was thump him one and wipe the self-confident, infuriating and provoking grin off his stupid face. The fact that Jou was weakened by his bouts with his father also raised the banner of 'Im a simple target' right above his head, attracting Herat like a bee to honey. Of course, just because Jou was physically exhausted didn't mean that he didn't put up a good fight, and his ferocity, intensity and fierceness made him an _enjoyable_ weak target. So Herat and his thugs continued their merciless sport of Jou Hunting, with varied and mostly destructive results.

The young boy was being attacked on two fronts; his home life and his school life...and Seto had become a part of both of them. The moment Jou had showed up at his mansion mentally and physically weak, exhausted and asking for shelter, Seto had been drawn into Jou's battles. He was highly displeased with that, as he wanted nothing to do with any other battles besides his own and he doubted Jou knew what he had done.

But now he had to protect Jou, for reasons out of his control. He was going to have to really try hard to do so, as it didn't look like he was succeeding so far in convincing the stubborn boy to yield. So he decided to change track. Instead of fighting with his old enemy, he resolved to try a different approach. He fixed Jou with an unwavering blue gaze and spoke in practical tones, trying to sound reasonable.

"True. But I didn't know how badly injured you were. Seeing you here in front of me has allowed me to gauge your injuries, and inform me of whether it would be safe to let you go from my protection. Why do you think I came to your room? I wanted to see these 'abuse wounds' for myself."

As Seto spoke, Jou looked away and a hand rose instinctively to his chest, unconsciously acknowledging the scars and cuts that Seto knew were there. Seto continued, watching Jou's reactions keenly.

"When Alice told me you had been abused, I didn't believe it to be serious. But I did believe it to be true. You're so obnoxious that I didn't doubt that someone out there had tried to kick your sorry ass; I know I've wanted to do it myself for a long time." He took a deep breath, willing himself to say the next few words and trying to sound professional and uninterested, ignoring the glower on Jou's face. "But coupled with your pneumonia and damaged ankle, I have decided that it is impossible for me to let you leave my mansion. It is too dangerous. For both of us." Seto added pointedly, knowing that Jou wasn't going to understand his last sentence.

Jou growled slightly. "Oh yeh? And since when 'av I let _you_ take care o' me, eh Kaiba? I know fer a fact dat _you_ aint da one who wants ta help me. Its Alice nd Mokuba, nd you jus can't argue wit both of em at once! You don't want me ta be here; I can see it in yer eyes! And ya keep lookin at me funny!" He threw an accusing glare at the tall brunette and watched as Seto didn't meet his glance. "Ders summat weird goin on here. You aint actin yerself. You hate me…But yer askin me ta stay…"

Seto sighed, knowing full well why Jou was so confused about his behaviour. He didn't want to explain what he was doing, because a lot of it wasn't explainable. He was being so random, and he should have known that the blonde would pick it up.

'_Hes not a total dunce.'_ Seto thought grimly. Jou was looking at him through narrowed eyes, and his mouth was tight…Seto could see that Jou was suspicious of a catch or a trick. Seto didn't blame him either; Jou wasn't the only thing his mind was screwing with.

"Yes. Im asking you to stay." Seto said quietly. "Is that so hard to believe?"

"Uh…yes." Was Jou's sarcastic reply.

"Well believe it. I need you to stay." Seto caught the taken aback look on Jou's face and whitened. He had said 'need' instead of 'want' and Jou had caught the slip. "Uh I mean…when I say I _need_ you to stay, I meant that it is necessary for both our protection…not anything else…"

Jou scoffed and gave Seto a strange look, almost calculating what he thought the brunette was up to. He thought he saw a slight tinge of embarrassed pink on the pale cheeks of the man in front of him, but the crystalline sapphire eyes above the blush caught his attention. Seto was watching him, and seemed to have resigned himself to meeting Jou's stare without emotion.

'_He's masking his emotions…his eyes are closed doors…'_ Jou thought slowly, his head swimming with confusion and a mind-numbing pound as a headache rose to the surface. _'Ugh…I need my pills…and a lie down…'_

When Jou didn't say anything but simply stared reproachfully, Seto silently cursed himself and threw his hands out to the side. "Ok, I confess. I want you to stay. Alice and Mokuba want you to stay. And admit it-you need my help. You think _you_ don't like this arrangement? Put yourself in my shoes for a moment." Seto said matter-of-factly, bringing his arms to a fold in front of his chest. "I know all about the abuse; your father, Herat…it's not _safe_ for you to leave and I have been advised-or rather ordered-by Dr. Walker that until he has re-evaluated you and deemed you well you CANNOT leave." He steeled his voice, finalising what was going to happen.

Jou simply stood there, quietly contemplating his options and the strange behaviour of his rival. He stared at the floor and swayed slightly, feeling his head thump with the familiar pounding headache he had been experiencing recently. Suddenly his knees weakened and Jou could feel his heart pulsing in his throat. He looked up to see Seto Kaiba giving him a concerned glance. Jou waved his hand and nodded, not having the energy to argue any further.

"Fine…I'll stay then…" he croaked, feeling his damaged leg giving out and the throbbing ache conquering his conscious. As he started to fall, strong hands shot out and took a firm grip on his arms. Expecting the cold of the floor to hit him, Jou was surprised to feel the warm hands encircle him as he was pulled to his feet. Swaying weakly, he leant onto the closest thing for support to stop himself from collapsing again. His head resting on a collarbone, Jou murmured something incoherent and automatically huddled into the warm chest of the body he was positioned against, focussing on dealing with his headache.

Seto Kaiba froze and his heart stepped up a beat. He was standing in his entrance hallway with a teenage boy in his arms, nuzzled into his chest. And it didn't feel wrong. He shook himself and resolved that now wasn't the time to be having bizarre thoughts like those. Seto blushed and slid his arms under the heated ones of the dazed blonde, heaving him upwards so that he was standing at full height. When Jou showed no signs of wanting to walk, Seto sighed. Not being able to see where he had to put his hands, Seto ran his palms over the small body, aiming to get them behind Jou's knees to provide leverage and pick him up.

His hands slipping under the jacket that Jou was wearing, feeling his skin heat with the closer proximity to the blonde he was experiencing. Slowly, almost tenderly, his lengthy hands moved over the creased shirt Jou was wearing, but they faltered as they reached Jou's hips. The tight pants hid almost none of the boys lower body, and Seto swallowed and suppressed a small moan at what he knew he was about to touch. The long fingers slid gently over the curves of Jou's fine ass, moving around and under to cup the tight flesh, not really intending to go any further down the hot body. Jou shifted slightly and Seto jumped as the muscled body moved against his own. A blush rose to his cheeks and he looked around vaguely, trying to ensure that no one was watching them.

With a sigh and a mental slap, Seto bent slightly and proceeded to trace down the warm body, noting the alluring shape of Jou's thighs. All notions of picking the blonde up as was previously decided were being pushed far to the back of the blushing brunettes mind, an passionate need to touch more of the enticing body below him taking almost total control. He looked down at the flushed face resting on his chest and blinked back his lust, his widened blue eyes roving hungrily over the pure skin in awe. Seto was immediately struck by the sublime curves that Jou's mouth shaped, and he felt the longing to touch those rosed lips with his own mouth. He licked his lips slowly and allowed his gaze to drift over Jou's closed eyes, the eyelids fluttering as he dozed. He marvelled at the long gold lashes, knowing that those lids would soon open to reveal the enchanting orbs Seto knew so well. He watched, spellbound and captivated, as the honey tresses drifted over the sublime features when the almost unconscious youth breathed in and out.

'_Damn...'_ Seto thought absently, leaning in close enough so that he could feel the hot breath of the other on his face, their noses almost touching. _'Those lips…so tempting…'_ His eyes once again darted to Jou's lips, and he bit his own, thinking with slight embarrassment that he was intent on planting a kiss on the delicate mouth beneath him.

There was a loud crash like the smashing of glass and Seto snapped out of his trance, shocked at how his sensibility had weakened and failed him under the influence of the one in his arms. He had never expected this to happen, and he was thus unprepared to deal with it. In a desperate take on trying to preserve his nerve, all thoughts of stressing over what he was doing had been crushed back by the simpler and less depressive notions of lust, desire and purpose. He had to get Jou to his room. That was his purpose. He had to deal with his racking desires and his lust in an effective and brief way. That was it for the moment. Nothing else took importance over staying sane. With another mental slap and a curse, Seto regretfully continued moving his hands downwards over Jou's body before pausing again at the back of Jou's knees.

Getting into the right position, he grunted and with an almighty heave he lifted the teen into his arms and then balanced Jou into a comfortable spot. Taking a few steps to measure his balance, Seto slowly carried the blonde up the stairs and back to Room 12, with Jou nestled against his pounding chest.

* * *

Laying the smaller teen gently onto his bed, Seto had almost smiled at the way Jou had grumbled in protest at losing the body heat of his pillow. Pulling the covers over the dozing form, Seto made leave of the room and drifted back to his study in a state of dazed awareness, vaguely alert that his blood was running hot and his pants were extremely too tight around the crotch. He sat down in his office chair and stared at his blank computer screen for a few moments before he realised that his computer wasn't even on.

Snapping out of his trance, his brain began to whir and process what he had just done. He caught his mind drifting back continually to the shape of Jou's ass and thighs, and he flexed his hands at the memory. He could almost feel the blonde still on his skin, and with those thoughts of reality the more 'creative' ones of teenage imagination took over. Soon his mind was filled of filthy images and sexual circumstances, and his body played along with added enthusiasm.

Ashamed of his encouraged arousal and his surfacing lust, Seto got up and walked out of his office, quickly bee-lining for his room. Within moments of getting inside he had locked his bedroom door and undressed, grumbling loudly at his lack of control. Glad for the adjoining bathroom, he walked in and grabbed the nearest towel, hanging it next to the shower door. He turned on the taps and started to run a long cold shower in the hopes of suppressing the stimulation he felt running through his system.

Seto stepped in and gasped in shock as the piercing cold ran over his burning skin. He ran a hand over his face and brushed his soaked hair out of his face, breathing deeply as his body shook in reaction to the drastic temperature change. Finally he felt the hormones dull from his body and his erection and hot blood subsided, leaving him cold and tired. He shivered and got out, reaching for the towel beside him. As he dried off, Seto realised that it was lucky he hadn't needed to complete what his body had started. He hadn't felt that excited over an individual before, and he hadn't liked his lack of control.

'_Lets not think about that now…'_ he thought severely, walking back into his bedroom with the towel around his waist. Now he was more than prepared for bed to rest his weary mind, as he was slowly generating a headache. Dropping the towel and slipping naked between his silken sheets, Seto Kaiba finally laid his head on his pillow and drifted off, sleeping properly for the first time in days.

Seto's last thought was that he was glad that none of his staff had seen the mishap in the hallway. He didn't want any of them to get the wrong idea, after all.

* * *

"Well then, I didn't expect that."

"No, I didn't either. Who would have guessed that Master Kaiba would give in and let the boy stay? Most unusual…" Charles frowned slightly at his co worker, who was quietly closing the door to the kitchen. "What exactly did you say to him, Alice?"

"Oh, nothing much. Mokuba did most of the work." Alice grinned and winked at her fellow Head Servant, who shook his head in amusement. "But to catch him and actually pick him up…that wasn't part of _my_ agreement. I guess it was a good thing we were watching through the door then, huh?" she mused, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

They had been having a quiet conversation about the performance of one of their staff members when they had heard the clamour from upstairs. Alice was the first to rush to the kitchen door and inspect what was going on, while Charles huffed about the wrongs of eavesdropping and spying behind her. Soon though his curiosity got the better of him and eventually he too was nosing in on the Master of the House and their young blonde guest as the two of them argued in the hallway.

Charles had struggled to hold Alice back when Jou had collapsed to stop her from flying to his aid, but she hadn't put up much of a fight; stunned at her employer's reaction, she simply blanched and watched in amazement as her boss caught the blonde and his hands traced their way almost sensually down Jou's backside. Charles had then coughed subtly and she closed her mouth, which had fallen open in disbelief. Watching keenly as Seto carried Jou carefully up the staircase, she had finally smirked and followed Charles back into the kitchen.

The old Head Butler sat back and watched the Head Night Maid as she sat down, a look of devious interest on her portly face. He knew that look, and it meant trouble. He sat down beside her and sighed.

"Alice…What are you scheming?"

"Oh nothing." Alice grinned innocently, but her small eyes glinted. "Well, nothing _yet_. But you did see how Seto had responded to contact with our guest…almost _sexual_, don't you think? And the way he had jumped a mile when I accidentally knocked that glass off the bench…Jou had him in a trance, and Seto was taken in. It's _very_ interesting…" she trailed off, tapping the bench beside her in thought.

Charles frowned again, lining his forehead. "Yes, I suppose so…but I don't see where you're going with this. Master Kaiba will just avoid contact with the boy, you know that."

"Exactly my point." Alice said smugly, folding her arms. "So Im going to make it hard for them to be apart. Seto can't avoid him forever…not if I have anything to do with it…" She smirked and lapsed into silence, ignoring the exasperated look on Charles' face. He sighed again, foreseeing a lot of trouble in the near future.

"Oh no."

* * *

The grandfather clock in the library chimed resplendently, signalling 2 o'clock in the afternoon on a Monday for the preoccupied habitants of the expansive Kaiba Mansion.

Mokuba bounced happily from his room and tore down the stairs, excited that the clock had signalled that not only was it a new hour of the day, but a new chance to ask his most frequent and personally favourite question. His eager shout thundered through the mansion, making the maid who was dusting in the entertainment room scream and drop the vase she was cleaning. Swearing, she caught it before it hit the floor and glanced upwards, listening to the racket as the young Master flurried towards the kitchens.

"ALICE? IS JOU AWAKE YET? CAN I SEE HIM NOW? ALIIIICE!"

* * *

Charles turned around in his seat and frowned, catching ear of a disturbance a floor above him. He faced Alice with a confused glance and she smiled knowingly, standing and putting her hands gently on her large hips.

"It's another hour, Charles." She said pleasantly, a smile spreading over her plump features at the expression on her old friends face. "You know what that means, don't you?"

His face drained of colour and he gulped. "Oh _No_…"

_

* * *

Well that's another one down._

_Ahahahaaa how deviously, deliciously evil is Alice? I love her so much…aside from Jou and Seto, shes my favourite character! And poor Charles…hes stuck along for the ride.grin and as for Mokuba…..good on him! Hes so cute, and hes so innocent, and hes so damn evil, its SO MUCH FUN typing about him! _

_I thought it was about time to add some JouxKaiba action, so I manoeuvred that little bit about Seto's "busy fingers"…do you guys like it? And about Seto's "appreciation" (cough cough) of Jou's pretty face? Yeah…I thought it was hott…there's SOOO much more of that to come if I have my way! Oooh…sexual tension! _

_Im so sorry its taken so long to update, but i have been doing my best. And it's just so long! oh god my hands hurt, and actually so does my shoulder...i think my back is out, coz my hip is hurting a bit too….i need to see my chiropractor I think! Ah well. Ive been writing this instead of sleeping (damn night hours) so now its 1:32am and im going to bed. Please review and I look forward to hearing from some of my regulars….you know who you are! _

_MWAA! Love ya lots, xoxoxox YaoiFanLady 2_


	8. The Impact Of Seto's Interference

_Hey guys. _

_Im so soo sooo soooo sorry this has taken so long…I have been doing year 12, so its been shocking…I swear if I hear another word about the Ancient Athenian social classes and the impact of the Peloponnesian war on Sparta ONCE MORE….my head is gonna fricken implode! Plus ive had a bit of a mental breakdown with this story…I dunno. It's not as great as you all make it out to be, im sure. Im pretty sure ive lost my touch, so im sorry if this chappie is so crappie. Ah well, at least I can rhyme. sigh_

_Here we go…_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 8

* * *

**

Liam Walker was extremely pleased when he received the call requesting his presence at the Kaiba Mansion on Tuesday. It didn't even matter that the call was at 5:30 in the morning, or that he had until 6:10 to get there on pain of being fired. There was no real reason why he was so happy, Liam reasoned with himself as he straightened his tie. It was just another visit to the Mansion, nothing special.

Or course, there was nothing special about the house itself; it was just a big fancy Mansion that seemed cold and uninviting, after all. No, what was making the Doctor so happy had more to do with the insistent, stubborn, infuriating woman that worked in that frosty place. He grinned. Yes, she was all those things, but also a lot more than that…she was beautiful, intelligent, charismatic, cheerful…and apparently rather attracted to him.

Liam blushed and walked out of his front door, thanking his lucky stars (for the first time in his life) that he was Seto Kaiba's most trusted Doctor.

Sitting in his car while it warmed up in the cold early morning air, the Doctor's grin started to fall when his mind wandered to what he was actually meant to be doing at the Mansion. The boy was scheduled for another check-up to determine his health and Liam was to decide whether or not it would be best for him to evacuate from the Master's presence. Liam doubted that the patient would want to stay any longer than necessary, and he was almost positive that Kaiba would mirror the hostile feelings. If it was any indicator from the reactions that Kaiba had portrayed during his first visit, Liam was sure that nothing would have changed in the passing time that could dissuade Kaiba from his anti-Jounouchi attitude. He snorted to himself, glad that he wasn't the one who had to permanently work for the young business tycoon. That man had a frightful habit of firing employees for random and often worthless reasons.

On the positive side, Kaiba certainly was one hell of an interesting person to be around. You didn't know whether he was going to yell, glare at you or fire someone, which kept you on your toes. However, Liam had noticed that Alice seemed to have one over on her employer; he figured it must have been because of Mokuba's affections for his staff, and he grinned at the idea of Alice being there when he arrived.

His thoughts were disrupted when his cell went off in his pocket. Pulling it out, he looked down at it to see the caller id-it was from the Kaiba Mansion. He gulped, and put the phone to his ear, pressing the answer button at the same time.

"Hello, Liam Walker speaking."

"Oh, hello dear," Said the friendly voice at the other end, sounding painfully cheerful for 6:00 in the morning. Liam immediately relaxed-he had feared for a brief second that it had been Kaiba himself, demanding to know why he wasn't there yet and how much longer he was willing to jeopardise his career by keeping him waiting. He sighed in relief and felt his good mood elevate a few notches.

"Good morning, most beautiful one. How may I help you?' Liam said courteously, hearing Alice let out a small giggle; he smiled at the response, feeling his heart flutter near his throat.

"Oh, Mr. Walker, you devil." Alice said in mock scandal, permitting another small chuckle. "Are you on your way now, then?"

"Yes…why?"

"Best hurry dear, Seto's in a strange temper today. The Day Maid's are going crazy trying to do their jobs perfectly-they seem to think he is in one of his random firing moods." A snort of amusement and then a rustle of movement sounded through the phone, and Liam knew she was shaking her head. "Just giving you the heads up, dear."

"Thankyou Alice, very sweet of you." Liam said, starting the car with his other hand and hearing the engine roar to life. "Im on my way out now, so I'll be there soon."

"Oh good. See you soon, Doctor."

"Please, call me Liam, Alice. There's no need for the formalities, don't you think?"

"Oh…well yes of course…sure. Bye then, Dr…uh…Liam…"

Liam smiled at the soft tones and hung up, pulling out of his driveway a moment later and becoming even more pleased with his trip to the manor.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was in a bad temper. It was clear the moment he had left his bedroom that morning that things were not going well for the Master of the House, and his attitude was reflecting his mood. It hung around him, like there was a 5 degree drop in temperature for a 5 meter radius. It was as though he had a lot to reflect upon, and it was making him grumpy and ill-tempered even _thinking_ about thinking about it.

His mood infected through the manor, infuriating the inhabitants who were meant to stay positive. The maids and butlers, generally so helpful and cheery, sunk into stupors of inconspicuous downheartedness and fear, skittering silently through the halls of the Mansion, evading Kaiba's steps like their life depended on it.

Within half an hour, Seto's frame of mind had caused the atmosphere of the Mansion to sink into almost visible and tangible gloom. Even Alice, who was excitedly anticipating Liam's arrival with self-composed glee, felt her happiness slip down a few notches when Kaiba walked into the kitchen, fired one of the butlers and then stalked out again, taking a steaming mug of coffee with him as he left.

His footsteps could be heard stalking through the Mansion and the door to his main office slammed shut; the staff knew he would not venture back out into their midst for the rest of the day unless it concerned another mug of ridiculously strong coffee. However, this brought no consolation and the staff of Kaiba Mansion didn't risk anything by relaxing. They began to work faster, avoiding the second floor corridor that branched into his office as though terrified he would burst out and vent his wrath on them. Even without his actual presence in the majority of the Mansion, the blanket of gloom and pessimism remained.

It was into this thick fog of unease that Dr. Liam Walker stepped into, feeling the happy mood he was in dissipate almost immediately as he walked through the front door. In amazement, he watched as a maid hurried past the hallway, shooting him a furtive glance that almost said something like 'Get out of here _while you still can'_. Liam shook his head and started immediately for the kitchens, wanting to talk to Alice about the condition of the patient since he had left.

He had barely taken two steps when Charles appeared from behind a door Liam hadn't noticed and strode over, his lined face looking even darker and older than the Doctor remembered. His appearance was of one who hadn't been sleeping very well, and Liam didn't doubt that the Butler, who usually did dayshifts, had been taking more nightshifts than usual.

"Ah, Dr. Walker." He said in greeting, wringing his hands and brushing his long silver ponytail over his shoulder distractedly. "You're already here, good, good…"

Liam frowned, noticing the lines and bags under the Head's eyes. Something was definitely not right, and Liam was almost dreading the possibilities why. "What's the matter here, Charles?"

The old man looked up and furrowed his eyebrows, misinterpreting the question. "There's nothing wrong with me, Doctor. Just a little tired is all, nothing to worry about."

Liam waved a hand. "Not you, though it's good to know you seem to think you're alright. But you do look more than a little drained…" He scrutinized the old man, who gathered his composure and puffed out his chest haughtily, as if to reassure the Doctor that he was fine. Liam smirked at the old man and nodded. "Yes, well. Anyway, what I meant was what's wrong _in here_? Its like someone's died, it's that gloomy."

He went to smile at his over dramatisation, but stopped himself when the old Head Butler actually nodded in agreement. "It certainly feels like it, doesn't it?" The man said softly, looking around him.

Eventually, Charles sighed and gave a small smile, motioning for the Doctor to follow him. He led Liam through the enormous house towards Room 12 and he seemed to become slightly less docile with the company, his steps becoming heartier and his face starting to show glimmers of smiles as the two men shared small talk. Once again, Liam broached the subject of the reasons behind the aura in the Mansion and Charles fell into silence. After a while, on the second floor and about three hallways from their destination, Charles finally spoke up.

"It's Master Kaiba. He came out of his room this morning and immediately the house fell into this darkness. Its not like he's angry particularly…it's almost like he's feeling too many things at once and he's just given up deciding which emotion it is." Charles said musingly, speaking more to himself than to the man striding next to him. "I bumped into him and I didn't even get a glare…he was most dispirited."

They stopped outside of Room 12 and fleeting movement through the slightly open door caught Liam's eye. He felt his heart leap and he hoped almost desperately that it was Alice, wanting to see someone who wouldn't be as dejected as the environment around them. Liam tightened his grip on his medical bag and turned to thank the older man for the company, startled to see tired grey eyes watching him carefully.

"If there's anything I can say to you that might help, it's this." The Head Butler said quietly, turning to walk away, his silver hair glinting in the dimmed light of the hallway. "Watch out for the Master. Stay out of his way, if you possibly can. It will save you a good deal of grief."

With a nod, the butler disappeared around the corner and Liam was left wondering vaguely whether or not things were going to get any worse. Sighing, he brushed a hand through his black hair and shook his head.

'_The way things are going at this rate, anything can happen…'_ he thought solemnly, pushing the door open and walking in.

* * *

Alice heard voices outside of the door and, putting down the clothes she was folding, turned in time to see the Doctor walk into the shadowed room. A smile immediately rose to her plump features, and she stood up, seeing the grin that had emerged on his attractive face. Without a second thought, Alice bounced over to the man and greeted him with a warm hug, before she remembered her place and stood back, blushing profusely and wearing a look of slight terror on her round face.

"Oh my! I'm-I'm sorry, dear…how very inappropriate of me. I was forgetting myself. You must be offended…" She said apologetically, watching with a blush as Liam turned crimson and then coughed subtly, giving the woman a glance that almost looked like longing. Alice blushed even deeper and straightened her uniform distractedly, watching Liam with an apprehensive expression.

"Not at all, my dear." He said after a few moments, waving a hand and fixing her with a soft and reassuring smile. "It's quite nice to find someone in this gloomy place who is still able to show some sort of positive emotion."

"Well I guess…"

"Besides," Liam grinned and his eyes twinkled playfully, "Im quite fond of hugs. Especially from a beautiful woman such as yourself…"

Alice giggled and glanced at the Doctor with a flattered smile, her brown eyes crinkled in the expression. Liam felt his heart beat faster and he twiddled distractedly with the strap of his bag. Noticing the gentle silence that had fallen between them, Alice suppressed a blush and straightened her hat, walking over to the bed and sitting carefully on the corner that the sleeping figure wasn't curled up in.

Liam noticed the affectionate and almost maternal gaze the woman was watching the napping boy with, and wondered vaguely if she once had children of her own. He walked over and placed his bag on the small stool beside the bed, moving to stand behind the woman. Hesitating for only a second, he felt courage flutter in his chest and he raised his hand, laying it to rest almost tenderly on her shoulder. She felt the gesture and looked up at him, eyes glimmering with what looked like sadness. He smiled faintly and squeezed her shoulder, earning a small smile in return.

"Do you have children, Alice?" he asked after a while, as the woman watched over the young teen while he fitfully slept.

She shook her head sadly. "No, my last husband didn't want children; even though I thought it would be wonderful. And when I started working for Master Kaiba, all hopes of another husband or my own children simply disappeared."

"Why?"

"Well, it's a full time job and then some, working here. I have no time for a life of my own. But I've been happy caring for Mokuba; he's like a son to me. And when this young one came to us, I just…" she sniffed and Liam felt hot tears hit his hand as she turned to face him. "I wanted to keep him safe, I wanted to protect him…but then I saw his body, I saw the scars and the wounds and I felt so helpless…he's too young, Liam…and I hate feeling so helpless like this…I'm so useless…"

"Oh, hey Alice, its ok…" he said softly, brushing the liquid off of her face, which he found even more beautiful glimmering with tears. "You aren't useless-I'm sure he really appreciates what you're doing for him. I know how hard it must be to see a young man like this…I promise, I'll make him better."

Alice looked up at the Doctor and smiled through the unhappiness, seeing in his face a determination that was making her feel safe and secure. She reached out and clenched the hand on her shoulder. "You promise, Liam?"

"It's what I do, my dear. I promise."

She sniffed again and turned back to the slumbering teen, her hand not moving from his. After a few moments, she stood slowly from the bed and automatically smoothed the sheets again. She straightened up and fixed Liam with a thankful gaze, trying to express her gratitude for what he was doing. He merely smiled and opened his arms welcomingly; Alice felt new tears shimmer down her cheeks and she moved into his embrace, letting her face rest in the crook of his neck and feeling his large hands of healing trace reassuring patterns down her back.

Without restraint and for the first time in a long time, Alice let go of all inhibitions and cried.

* * *

Jou, slipping between deep and light slumber, heard the sound of sobbing. He new the sound well and his ears were attuned to it-the sound was that of his mother as his father hit her while bellowing threats and abuse; the sound of his mother as she packed her bags and grabbed Jou's young hand, telling him that she would always love him; it was the sound that came from his sweet sisters lips as she told him that she had to leave with his mother. It was also the sound he recalled hearing from himself on many long and lonely nights while his father raged in the other room, his body aching from where he had been pushed against the wall while his hands knotted into fists in his bed sheets.

The sound was so familiar to him that it reached through to his semiconscious mind and stirred in him emotions that had long since been buried, smothered with years and years of hardened instincts to be strong and survive. The cry of pain, of misery…but this time, the sounds he heard were almost the cries of release, like the individual had needed to cry for so long, but had not felt safe enough within themselves to do it.

'_Who could be so insecure?' _He wondered to himself distantly. '_Who could harbour such pain and yet feel such relief at staining their face with their own tears?'_

The young blonde turned over in his sleep, a frown tainting his soft face as the wounds of his body called for respite. The sounds of the sobs drifted from his attention and he slipped back into the blissful darkness of sleep, the memories of his childhood slowly fading in his minds eye.

* * *

Liam waited for a few more minutes while the woman weeping on his shoulder took large sniffs to regain herself. Patting her softly on her back, the Doctor watched as the boy twisted in his bed and frowned, muttering something and then flinching. After a few moments, the dream seemed to pass and the blonde boy slipped back into calm sleep, his mouth drooping open as he began to snore.

Alice, finally in control of her emotions, looked up from Liam's shoulder and smiled, a blush tinging her round cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, Liam." she smiled apologetically. "You must think me quite silly, what with me blubbering like a child…" She sounded more upset with herself than anything else, and Liam simply grasped both her hands and held them reassuringly, his eyes gazing at her warmly.

"Not at all, my sweet." He said softly, not wanting to disturb the sleeping boy with his loud voice. "I find such honesty quite admirable, especially when you have been working for several days in a row and must be close to your wit's end." He paused, scrutinizing her carefully. "You really like Master Jounouchi, don't you?"

She nodded and her eyes fell sorrowfully on the sleeping form that was beginning to stir. "Yes, I suppose I do…"

Jou grumbled in his sleep and tossed in the sheets, finally becoming tangled enough that he couldn't move. With a grunt, he sat up and opened his eyes blearily, his unkempt hair falling over his face.

"Ngh?"

Alice smiled warmly in greeting. "Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?"

Jou, rubbing his eyes and scratching his head, yawned and returned the smile. "Yeah, much better dan las' time. I only woke up four times in da night."

His lopsided grin faded rapidly when he saw the looming shadowed figure standing behind the Head Maid. Paling, he surveyed the outline warily with wide eyes, slightly worried that it may be Kaiba. His fears were soon discarded however, when his tired eyes surmised that the individual wasn't as tall or thin as Kaiba was. Jou exhaled-it wasn't Seto. So who…?

"And how are you feeling, young Master?" The shadow said pleasantly, gentleness in its thick and masculine voice.

Jou frowned. He hadn't really taken the time yet to asses how he was feeling. How did he feel? Confused. Drugged up. In pain. So, _so_ tired….he forced a smile.

"Alright I guess…"

"Well, let me have a look at you."

The shadow walked out of the dark patches of the room to reveal that it was a Doctor. Jou watched as the man, average height and middle aged, nodded in a friendly manner that shook his dark hair. His dark eyes crinkled in a smile, Jou felt himself relax slightly. But he found that something was bothering him, pestering him at the back of his mind. Jou knew the sound of the Doctors voice, but he didn't know the face, or anything else for that matter. But a nagging at the back of his tired mind told him- or rather persistently insisted-that he had met this man before.

'_But I can't remember anythin 'cept dat voice…was I unconscious when we firs' met?'_ He wondered, remembering hearing the reassuring voice through the darkness of his deepest sleep.

"Who…" Jou said quickly, watching as the Doctor hesitated. "Who are ya again?"

"Jou, dear, don't you remember?" Alice asked, cocking her head to the side with a frown on her face.

"No…well, I don' think so…no…I dunno…"

"Hmm." Liam smiled suddenly, understanding why his patient was so confused. "You don't remember me, do you?"

Jou shook his head, shutting his eyes when his head pounded in return for the movement.

"Nup."

Liam sat on the edge of his bed and fiddled with his tie, before fixing Jou with a comforting gaze. "Well, let me introduce myself…again."

He grinned amiably and Jou raised an eyebrow. He was struck by how similar his sense of humor was to Alice's.

"Doctor Liam Walker, at your service." Liam bowed his head in respect, but Jou could tell he was simply playing around. He coughed and straightened his tie professionally, but his eyes twinkled. "You had collapsed, and I was called in to determine your health. You were barely awake when I did my analysis, but you were conscious enough to tell me to…what was it exactly? Ah, yes…to 'fuck off and let you sleep'. Quite a show of spirit, lad."

The Doctor smiled at the look of awkwardness on the Jou's pale face, remembering with a grin the character the boy showed before he passed out again. He watched as Jou shook his head and managed a small laugh at his own behaviour. "Sorry Doc, I don't remember doin dat. Musta bin half awake."

"Yes, well. That was on Sunday, and it's now Tuesday." He reached down and retrieved his medical bag, which had slipped off its perch on the seat. "May i?" he asked politely, motioning towards his bag.

Jou nodded, and sat up properly. Liam began his observations, taking Jou's temperature, analysing his ankle, listening to his heartbeat and performing other basic tests. Once he was done, he packed his instruments back into his bag. He stood up and noticed that in the short space of time that Jou had been forced to move, his energy had waned and he was wheezing. Suspicions confirmed, Liam forced a smile and patted Jou on the shoulder.

"Good work, Jou. You can go back to sleep now."

"…'Kay…"

Jou laid back down on the bed and curled up into a ball, Alice pulling the sheets over his body. Jou coughed and there was a definite gurgle in his throat, to which Liam grimaced. Jou moaned and pressed his head into the pillow-he had a raging headache and it felt like his throat was sandpaper. His chest felt heavy and congested, unlike anything he had ever had before. It was similar to when he had first contracted the pneumonia, but instead of the stabbing pain and difficulties to breathe, it was different, like his lungs were clogged. Feeling too tired to care, Jou shrugged it off and closed his heavy eyes.

Before long, Jou was once again asleep, tossing and turning only slightly and so deeply in slumber that he wasn't even snoring. Alice, unaware of the Liam's worries, smiled and took hold of the Doctor's hand, not caring if it was against protocol. She was happy that he was getting better, and she clenched his hand to pass on her positive feelings.

Liam merely heaved a sigh and frowned.

* * *

Once Jou had completely settled down and the room was pristine as though they had never entered, the two adults left the room to darkness and stood outside in the hallway. Once the door had clicked shut, Alice turned and faced Liam, her mood much better than it had been earlier.

"Isn't it so good to see him improving?" she said, beaming. "You're so good with young people, Liam!"

Liam smiled anxiously. He felt a pang in his heart, because he knew that she was happy that Jou had woken up and not apparently been as bad as before. However, the Doctor had noticed something that did not bode well, and he was hesitant to burst her happy bubble. But he had no other choice; the woman might give him some clues as to why Jou was ailing.

"Alice..."

"Hmm?" she smiled happily and Liam felt his voice catch in his throat. She saw the worried look in his eyes and she frowned. "Liam, what is it?" she asked sternly.

"Jou's not improving at all." Liam said slowly, watching as Alice's face fell. "He has fluids in his lungs from the pneumonia, and is showing signs of perhaps the beginning of severe bronchitis."

"What? But he-"

"Im sorry, Alice. He's not getting much better." The Doctor felt his heart break when Alice's top lip started to tremble, her large brown eyes welling up with doleful tears. He ran a hand stressfully through his dark hair. "The pneumonia is almost gone, but he hasn't gotten much healthier in any other aspect. The side symptoms of the pneumonia should have been cured along with the infection itself, but his body seems too exhausted to cope with the battle; the antibiotics and other drugs are only to _assist_ in the body's natural healing process-they can't do _all_ of the work. Please tell me, did he ever get out of bed, or over exert himself in between my trips?"

Alice paled. Jou had indeed done those things-had they made him worse? "Ye-yes…he did."

Liam scowled. "When? Why?"

"Master Kaiba went to see him at about 1 in the afternoon yesterday and…well…Jou woke up. They began to fight and Jou tried to leave…Seto only just managed to stop him from walking right out the front door, but I believe it was only because Jou was too exhausted to argue. As soon as Seto got the agreement to stay out of him, Jou passed out again and had to be carried back up here."

She looked up regretfully at the taller man and was startled to see his fists balled and a scowl on his lined face. She studied him carefully and then realised that Liam was far from impressed with the events from the day before. Obviously, Seto's interference was causing Jou more than just stress.

Liam felt his temper rise. This was inexcusable, tampering with the healing process of a young teenager! Jou didn't need the overbearing and intimidating shadow of Seto Kaiba breathing down his neck and giving him reasons to over exert himself, and Liam was going to make sure that Kaiba stopped interfering. This time, that arrogant teenager would not overrule his professional orders.

'_I will not stand for this!'_ He vowed, tightening his grip on his medical bag. He fixed the portly woman next to him with an impassive stare.

"I have to have a discussion with your boss, Head Maid." He said darkly. "Take me to him, now."

_

* * *

Ooooh! So Liam is gonna put his foot down, huh? Good!_

_I know this chapter was mainly Liam and Alice concentrated, but they play a large part in the fates of the characters, so I thought it would be most beneficial to the plot to have their recount of the events. _

_Since Jou spends this chapter asleep and in pain, I couldn't really do it from his point of view. Kaiba is doing his own thing as well, in a bad temper might I add, and has nothing to do with the pre-events that occur in this chapter. However, he's about to get a bollocking when Liam goes off his nut, chucks a MAJOR sad…and takes on the billionaire. (Boxing ring bell: DING DING) lol _

_Alice and Liam will be coming to Jou's aid later in the story when Jou is finally released but runs into more trouble. The two lovebirds may even be a couple by that time, I dunno yet! What you think?_

_Anyway, did this in two nights, when I should be doing my English oral which is due to be performed on Friday. Ah well, at least im doing English of sorts. _

_And a happy birthday to the dedicatee of this story-(presents cake). Blow out the candles, Seto'swhiterose! Hehee_

_See you next chapter! Bye, Love Ya!_

_YaoiFanLady 2, xox_


	9. The Dragon's Den

_Hey guys. _

_Holy crap._

"I'm supposed to be doing homework, but as you can probably tell, that aint going so flash. I get distracted easily, gimme a break-I would much rather type out a nasty-albeit frightfully sexy-Seto Kaiba than write a biology report. So there goes schoolwork. Bubye!"

_You know what's shocking? That above authors note was what I typed when I first started this chapter. What's shocking is that I have now finished school, so in all likeliness I did in fact stop doing this to complete that goddamn biology report. How bizarre. And even more so is that I finished year 12 almost 6 months ago, and I started this story almost 2 years ago. And in those two years, I have only managed to spit out 8 meaningless little chapters, while the world went on without it. _

_Sigh_

_I've grown up a bit now. I have a job, a nightlife, a mental institute wanting me to return to claim 2 years of bad food and sedatives after I ran away from an excursion to the museum…my day pass was running out anyway, I figured "hey, why not jus skip the boring lecture and jump straight to the freedom bit?", so here I am now. Months after my last update and ready to provide more sinfulness in the matter of Seto and Jounouchi. HOORAY!_

_Seto'swhiterose…please for the love of God, please let you be reading this right now. I miss you. I miss this. I miss our bizarre little connection, as insignificant as it is with all the dramas of the world. I miss writing about Jounouchi and Seto, and Alice and Mokie and Charles and Liam…I miss screwing around with my school friends and most of all I have missed this…_this_…this expression, this self explanation that can only be defined as the narcissistic ramblings of an idiot._

_And if that's what I am, then so be it. _

"_Fuck it. Fuck it all to hell. Fuck it all three ways to Sunday." I don't care. I'm insane, and I think I'm gonna goddamn enjoy it. _

…

_Welcome, my friends, to my realm of chaos. Enter if you dare. And please, leave behind your soul. You won't be needing it now. Muwahahahahahaa._

…

…

_Uhhhhh._

_Excuse me, but I've lost my mind. Have you seen it? Oh, a mind is a terrible thing to lose…you will let me know if u find my mind, wont you?!_

_Here we go…_

_Oh, btw. The day that I left it on last chapter was Tuesday, and it still is Tuesday-Liam's about to go knocking on Kaiba's door. Also, the little flashback is also Tuesday, (though very early on Tuesday morning) and will explain why Kaiba was so pissed off last chapter, which was still Tuesday morning, just later on and AFTER this flashback happened very early Tuesday morning…thus why he's so pissed._

…_yeah, that made sense._

_I'm sorry for all the jumping, I'm sure it made more sense in my head. Anyway, its Tuesday…have I mentioned that?_

**

* * *

Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Liam followed the Head Night Maid through the halls of the mansion, a furiously determined look on his face. Alice glanced back at him once or twice, as if to check if he was still willing to go pick a fight with her employer. When he did nothing but stare back at her and nod slightly, Alice would sigh and keep walking, shaking her head dispiritedly, causing her russet hair to shake softly.

Through the tall windows came the bright light of morning, the sun rising slowly in the clear sky. The rays of morning light cast patterns on the floor and walls of the halls, and Liam felt himself squint every time he passed from shadow to light. Impatiently, he checked his watch, wondering why there wasn't anyone around. Alice's slight steps pattered in front of him, and his heavy boots clunked against the floor, echoing softly in the deserted corridors. It was 7:18 am, yet still the house seemed dead and quiet.

'_Was Kaiba really in that bad of a mood?'_ He wondered vaguely, feeling a slight knot of panic clench at his gut. _'Is everyone in this house afraid to show that they even exist in his presence? I can almost smell their fear…I wonder why he's so malicious, today of all days. Shouldn't he be glad at the prospect of being rid of Jou?'_

Certainly, Kaiba seemed to have become progressively more and more vicious since Jou had arrived at the mansion. There seemed to be history between the two young men; that much was obvious, but Liam was intensely curious as to why the blonde was having such a negative affect on the Master of the house. Fear breeds hatred and aggression, Liam knew this, but what Seto had recently been displaying seemed close to confused and ill-directed anxiety and angst; something that a brooding young teen like Seto Kaiba seemed to have in bucket loads.

The problem was, Jou seemed the type of person to rebel against a controlling hand, and Seto was indeed that kind of person in his own right; if they knew each other, Liam could almost guarantee that Seto would be domineering and Jounouchi would rebelliously fight back. So if Seto was angry at the very presence of the young blonde, then-at the height of his health-Jou would reciprocate with his own special brand of aggression. What's more, Jou most likely wasn't the type of person to back down either, so a confrontation between the brunette and the blonde could last for quite a considerable length of time.

'_So they have a past history together and they both have shown negative emotions towards each other, though Kaiba's is more dramatic because…well…that's the way he is sometimes. Theatrical.' _Liam shook his head, pushing aside the nervous feeling of apprehension and instead focusing on the frantic whirring of his mind.

'_If that's the case, I don't doubt that those two have a lot more in common than I imagined, though Jounouchi seems to have himself under slightly more control with his aggression and stubbornness.' _The doctor laughed to himself quietly, feeling the lump in his throat shift. _'Except with Jou…his control snaps when he's around Kaiba. How ironic. They're both as bad as each other.'_

Wiping the smirk from his face, the doctor's mind turned to more pressing matters-his impending doom to name one such predicament. With the shadowed hallways and the ominous silence, Liam felt like he was walking into the den of a ferocious and hostile beast; indeed, Kaiba was as dangerous as any exotic animal at the height of his rage. And Liam, for all his integrity and intelligence, couldn't for the life of him understand why he was allowing himself to walk into this obviously grave confrontation.

Looking at his watch and taking note that it was currently 7:40 in the morning, Liam heard Charles' words of warning run through his head, and the Doctor wondered vaguely if perhaps he was being a bit drastic.

"If there's anything I can say to you that might help, it's this: Watch out for the Master. Stay out of his way, if you possibly can. It will save you a good deal of grief."

There was wisdom behind the old man's words-he had worked for the billionaire for most of his life, as had his father and his father both worked for Seto's stepfather. The wizened man was Seto Kaiba's most trusted and high-ranking manservant, and nobody (besides family) knew Seto Kaiba better. So why did Liam feel this burning desire to confront this man about his involvement with his patient? He didn't really know, but what he did know was that what Alice had told him wasn't the only side to the story.

The answers to his questions could be provided by only one person now and the doctor would get them, even if it meant walking into the den of a dragon. Liam steeled his nerve and clenched his fists. _'So be it.'_

* * *

Seto Kaiba had awoken that morning-with a convulsive gasp, hands knotted in silk sheets and sharp breaths coming in short pants-to the confronting and insistent mental images of a certain young blonde individual, naked and sweating, calling out his name in pleasure. Shivering and sheeted in a layer of sweat, the erotic dream flashed before Seto's eyes, refusing to fade into nothingness as his consciousness returned to him.

Lithe body, twisted in carnal pleasure as thin hands gripped at the blue silken sheets of Seto's bed…blonde hair falling over scarlet cheeks as powerful thrusts push him back and forward against the cerulean silk pillow…loud gasps and moans escaping from the kiss-swollen, open lips, Seto's name blurred with the groans of ecstasy…

'_Gods!'_ Seto, shaking, forced his hands to unclench themselves and blinked rapidly, wiping the sweat from his brow a moment later and sighing in relief as the gratuitous mental flashes faded away into nothingness.

Slowly, the clear and sharp colours of his room came dimly back into focus, and Seto felt his heart slowly return to an acceptable-though still alleviated-state. The curtains drawn and the light switched off, the only traces of light came from his alarm clock, which boldly told him with neon numbers that it was an obscene 3:30 in the morning.

"Goddammit…"

The young CEO took a few moments of deep breathing before realising why he felt light-headed; his lower body burned with hot-blooded awareness. Apparently, all of his blood was currently in his crotch, where an arousal more shameful than the one that had burned the night before had surfaced in reply to his fantasy.

Growling irritably, Seto slid out from between his bed sheets and strode over to the shower, determined to deal with his new problem the same way he had the last time. Not giving any thought to why he felt so twisted inside, Seto once again turned on the shower and stepped inside, again gasping loudly in shock as icy water hit his burning, tortured skin.

However, after five minutes of standing in the cold shower and staring indifferently at the wall, his predicament had not subsided. Looking down and grimacing at the situation he found himself in, Seto finally resigned himself to his last option. Sweeping dripping brown tresses out his face, Seto heaved a heavy sigh and altered the faucets, turning them until the water changed to an acceptably warm stream. One hand on the wall and the other slowly moving to wrap firmly around his manhood, Seto let loose a gasp as his body reacted to the heated palm around himself.

Slowly, almost hesitantly, Seto allowed his hand to move in the way that his instincts told him felt good. Though ashamed of this weakness that he considered himself above doing, more than anything Seto was downright frustrated at the very reason why he had to bring himself to masturbate in the shower in the first place.

Flashes of his dream swam through his mind, followed by glimpses of Jou's face as he saw it day by day. Slowly these were replaced with the words and mental images relating to Jou's illness and his abuse that he had heard so often, repeated to him again and again especially in the past few days.

Seto's rather dramatic mind began imagining Jou's body with all his bruises and scars, and an abrasive growl slipped from between his lips; Seto found a strange sensation as anger welled inside him. What was strange was that it was not directed at Jounouchi, but rather at the scenario Seto found himself in, having to deal with the blonde and coming to the moral dilemma of what he could-or should-do to help Jounouchi.

'_Damn you, Jounouchi!'_ The young man thought spitefully, the anger surging in him starting to be drowned out by the pleasure as the poison of lust began to run amok with his body. _'What are you doing to me?'_

* * *

Reaching up a tentative hand and realising with a start that he was uncontrollably shaking, Liam knocked a few times on the heavy mahogany door of Seto's office and, while waiting for an answer, turned his head to see the Head Maid turn around the corner and disappear.

Without saying a word, she had pecked him on the cheek, squeezed his hand and then bowed, silently taking her leave and not meeting Liam's gaze. It had taken the doctor a few minutes to secure his grip on reality before he had knocked. He wanted his wits about him now that he was facing the one and only Seto Kaiba.

When there was no sound in reply to his request to enter, he once again banged on the door, a little more insistently this time, and stepped forward in time to hear a sharp sigh from inside the room.

"Come in." Though muffled, impatience was clear in the clipped tones, and Liam straightened his clothes impulsively, swallowing awkwardly.

'_Ok, here goes.'_ Steeling his nerves, Liam pushed the heavy door open and walked inside, closing his only escape route behind him a few moments later.

The curtains of Seto's office were partially drawn, allowing only a slight glow of morning sunshine to light the room. Dark and foreboding, the large office desk that was placed directly in front of the door cast eerie shadows across the floor. Clearing his throat, Liam waited for a sign of movement from the large office chair that he presumed the Master of the House was seated in. Not being able to see where everything was in the gloom, including his boss, Liam felt his eyes widen in the darkness, trying to pick up movement or glimpses of the furniture.

After a few moments, there was a creak of the high backed chair, and Seto Kaiba leaned forwards out of the darkness. Arms folded unforgivingly across his chest, slivers of shadow hid most of his face, except for the unmistakable scowl that twisted his features. He fixed Liam with a glare and then reached over, tapping the touch-lamp on his desk and illuminating the room with soft light. Immediately his entire office was thrown into sharp relief, and Liam took the opportunity to bow.

Seto, whose face remained impassive, sat back in his chair once again and unfolded his arms. "What is it, Doctor? Did you examine the patient?"

Liam stood up straight from the bow and nodded his head, bringing his eyes to meet Kaiba's. "Yes sir, I did."

"And what is your analysis?"

Taking a deep breath, Liam exhaled and let a stern expression sweep over his face. "The pneumonia has lessened; he seems to be responding to the medication, though not as well as I had hoped. His ankle is healing well, but walking on it for long periods of time is not recommended for another week. Crutches may be in order. Physically, his exhaustion has only marginally decreased, mainly because of his illness, and bed rest is still advised for another few days."

At this point, the doctor haltered and looked downwards, realising a moment later that showing a weakness like uncertainty might not have been the smartest thing to do around the young CEO. Indeed, Kaiba picked up on it immediately. Frowning, he leant forwards and forced Liam to meet his gaze.

"But there is something else, isn't there, Walker?" he asked sternly, eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Yes sir, there is…" Liam felt his stomach clench and decided that now was the one chance he was going to get to say what he felt needed to be said. "Master Jounouchi may have the beginnings of bronchitis, and a severe case at that. When I examined him this morning, his lungs and throat showed signs of congestion and the presence of liquids typical with the bronchial infection."

Seto nodded and stood up, walking forward and stopping to stand in front of the doctor, implying that his time in Kaiba's presence was waning. Liam looked up and was startled to see that Seto looked far more tired than usual, lines etched in his forehead from frowning and a resigned kind of dullness in his eyes. His mind seemed elsewhere, as though something had happened recently that was occupying his attention.

Feeling some of his fighting spirit return to him, Liam wondered if maybe Kaiba was thinking about what had happened between him and Jounouchi the day before, and also the impending prospect that the boy wasn't going to be leaving anytime soon.

Clearing his throat, Liam continued. "However, Jounouchi's condition when I last saw to him was in no way similar to what it is now. He was healing quite nicely, but something seems to have happened in the past few days that has interrupted his healing process."

Seto cocked his head and frowned harshly at the doctor. "What are you implying, Doctor?"

"Has anything happened in the past few days that may give a reason as to why _more_ stress has been placed on the boy's physical and mental state?"

Seto's brain finally caught up with him and he studied the disapproving expression of the doctor. He scowled. "I believe you already know that answer, don't you?" he snapped shortly. "If it will amuse you, yes, the damned fool got out of bed and tried to leave just before midday yesterday. Anything else?"

Ignoring the lowered and threatening tones of his employer, Liam ploughed on. "And why did he get out of bed, _Sir_?"

Taking a menacing step forward, Seto hissed threateningly. "Watch your tone, Doctor. You would do well to remember where you are and who you are with before you show audacity; Alice may think it's cute, but I am not amused."

He spat the last sentence, almost disgusted by the mentioning of a sinfully innocent word like 'cute'. Liam suppressed a frown and cleared any emotions from his face. "My apologies, Master Kaiba." He said silkily, allowing an insincere smile to curl his lips. "I must be mistaken, then."

Kaiba once again narrowed his eyes suspiciously, eyeing the doctor with mingled curiosity and anger. "About what?"

"I was informed that the reason why young Master Jounouchi left his bed and tried to return home had something to do with you, but perhaps that is untrue."

"Something to do with me." Seto repeated, irritated. "Be precise Walker, I _have_ realised you know more than just that useless fact. Don't play games with me, or I will make you pay for it."

Smiling to himself and not doubting the subtle threat in his boss's words, Liam took a breath and met Kaiba's gaze with one of fierce determination. "Apparently, you went to his room and started a fight. Now forgive me, but that does sound like you, through and through."

Seeing Kaiba open his mouth to speak, Liam cut him off and put his hands on his hips. "I know you don't like the boy, but I would have thought that you would want him to get well faster so that he could leave. Instead, you bait him into losing his temper and place stress on his body and mind, which-if you _haven't_ noticed-hasn't helped his condition one bit. So which is it, Kaiba? Do want the boy to stay or to leave? Do you like him, or dislike him?"

Seto stood there for a few moments, mouth slightly open, shocked at how brash this old fool was, but more importantly, how much like an idiot the old fool had just made him sound like.

While Kaiba seemed to process what he had just said, Liam watched anxiously for any violent change in the other man's expression, biting his lip and wondering if perhaps he had gone too far; indeed, Kaiba seemed lost for words, though Liam couldn't determine if it was out of anger or something else. With a dawning realisation, Liam stepped forward slightly and studied Kaiba's tired face.

"You don't know, do you?"

Feeling his brain jerk back into gear, Kaiba growled, incensed at the truth behind the doctors words. He did want Jou to leave, but it was also true that he hadn't helped himself by driving the boy to attempt something stupid like escaping. He didn't know.

Now Seto was left with the dawning realisation that he was a hypocritical idiot, and that he now was unsure of what he actually wanted concerning Jounouchi. Did he want the boy to leave, or did he want him to stay? If he wanted him to leave, wouldn't he _not_ sabotage the boy's health and instead do everything within in his power to ensure that nothing interrupted his healing process?

And yet, that was exactly what he had done.

Seto had been so fixated on seeing what Jou's inflictions were that he had completely misjudged what his actual presence could do to the boy; instead he had snuck in while he was asleep so that he wouldn't notice anything, and had then proceeded to substantially annoy the young blonde when he had woken up without even trying to.

The consequent events had apparently had an affect on Jou's health, which was effectively the very _epitome_ of karma, as much as Seto didn't believe in that nonsense. So now Seto had an insolent doctor standing in his office, telling him exactly what his brain had been frantically processing since his dream that morning, though a slight more rudely than Seto had expected.

Seto sighed and turned his back to the doctor, rubbing his temples. "How long must Jounouchi stay for, Liam? And give me a goddamm straight answer."

Liam, expecting a vicious display of temper, frowned and contemplated a suitable reply. "It really is hard to say. I'll start him on medication for the bronchitis immediately; since it's been identified before it takes a severe hold, there is a slight chance that the medication will prevent the worst of the infection to even develop. If that's the case, then once his pneumonia completely clears up, which could take another two or three days, he should be fine to leave. Of course he will have to go slowly and come to me for weekly checkups for the next month or so just so I can monitor his health, but that's standard procedure, as I'm sure you know."

Seto strode back to his desk and sat down, placing his head in his hands. "Yes, I'm aware of your protocols, Doctor. Give me an approximate day."

Liam, whose adrenaline was still running through his system, smirked. "If no one encourages him to over exert himself, then perhaps I will clear him to leave on Sunday. That's only 4 days away; do you think you can manage?"

Immediately, he knew he had gone too far. Almost in slow motion, Seto lifted his head out of his hands and fixed Liam with the most poisonous, hateful glare that the doctor had ever seen. Right then and there, Liam felt a little part of him die, his heart returning to a lump in his throat once more. If he was indeed in the den of a ferocious beast, up till now Seto had been resigned, docile even. Right up until now, when Liam had done the most stupid thing possible; he'd poked the sleeping dragon, and now indeed Kaiba looked ready to tear him apart.

Tapping the lamp, Seto folded his arms once more and fixed a cold and unforgiving glare at the doctor. Seto's office was once again thrown into shadow and gloom, though his outline could still be seen from behind his desk. Shadows flickered over the brunettes face, hiding most of his expression except for his scowl and his narrowed eyes. Though it may have been Liam's imagination, Seto's blue orbs seemed to glow menacingly in the dark, piercingly staring at him as though daring him to speak again.

Frozen to the spot and certain that at any moment the teen was going to spring ninja-like from his chair and strangle him without a seconds warning, Liam merely felt the blood drain from his face and his heart hammer in his ears.

"Leave."

Jumping at the venomous tones, Liam bowed, even though he doubted the Master of the House could see, and positively fled from the office, leaving Seto alone with his thoughts.

Leaning against the wall of the hallway once the door had shut behind him and trying to calm his heart, Liam had the fleeting impression that it had actually gone rather well, considering that it was Seto Kaiba he had gone to pick a fight with. Walking out with his job was a miracle in its own right, but Liam couldn't help but feel a slimmer of concern for what exactly was up with the business man.

He had seemed distracted, albeit tired, and hadn't reacted in a particularly aggressive manner until Liam had overstepped the boundary. Thinking back on what he had actually said, the doctor almost felt his knees give way. _'I actually said that, I said that to Seto Kaiba…and I'm still alive! I can't believe I said that, what was I thinking? Was I thinking?!'_

Taking a look at his watch and noticing that it was now 8:47am, he heaved himself to his feet and hurried down the corridor, his heart still beating a mile a minute and his hands unconsciously shaking once more. As he turned down a few more hallways and down a flight of stairs, he straightened his uniform, his feet unconsciously picking a path to the kitchens where undoubtedly Alice would be. Stopping outside of the kitchen door, he straightened his tie compulsively and ran a hand through his hair, feeling that the sooner this mess got cleared up the better.

Liam sighed, and then knocked politely on the door, forcing a smile when a young maid allowed him passage. Stepping into the warm kitchen, the doctor felt a wave of pity for his patient. _'God help Jounouchi, if he has to deal with that man whenever he's like that.'_

* * *

Having been persuaded to sit down and have a cup of coffee while he waited for Alice to finish lecturing a day-maid, Liam then spent the next half hour having a rather awkward conversation with the portly woman. It appeared that Mokuba had come in earlier that morning and, en route to stealing a mug of hot chocolate, continued his habit of asking Alice how Jounouchi was doing, innocently curious as to why the doctor had gone to speak to his big brother after Jou's evaluation.

How Mokuba could keep up with the affairs of the house without actually _knowing_ what was really going on was a mystery to the staff, but nonetheless, it broke Alice's heart to have to tell Mokuba the white lie that she didn't know what was going on with their houseguest.

Mokuba had merely pouted and grabbed his hot chocolate before bounding out of the kitchen and started running noisily up to his bedroom, apologising loudly when he spilt a little of his drink on the marble floor that one of the maids was polishing a smudge off of. Laughing loudly, the young Kaiba disappeared promptly afterwards, leaving the maid to forlornly look at her recently cleaned floor which was now covered in hot chocolate.

Alice was distressed, mostly because her motherly disposition was starting to give her a bit of grief now that what was happening between Seto and Jou was affecting Mokuba as well. And so, when she had finished berating the maid a little more strictly than perhaps was necessary, she sent all of the staff out of the kitchen and sat, defeated, across from Liam with a grumpy expression on her face. They had then proceeded to share small talk, Liam sharing details about what had happened in the office and Alice expressing her deepest fears and worries and then apologising for even mentioning them. Eventually, they lapsed into a comfortable silence while the doctor finished his coffee.

At about 9:30am, Liam excused himself and left the kitchen, intending to check on his patient and perhaps begin administering the medication for the bronchitis. Reaching Room 12, he heard coughing and wheezing from inside and immediately let himself in.

* * *

Jou woke that morning to an excruciating headache and a tight and painfully restricting feeling in his chest. The inability to breathe properly had proven too much for him to handle in his sleep, and the young blonde had woken to a coughing fit as his body cried out for more oxygen. Rolling over and trying his best to breathe as deeply as possible, the fit lasted for a few more moments until he moved onto his back and found that the position seemed to open his airways a little better.

Frustrated and groggy, Jou swallowed loudly and winced, his throat grating like sandpaper from the exertion of the fit. Listening to the gurgle coming from his own throat, Jou lay in the darkness of his room and silently cursed whatever bad luck he seemed to have stalking him lately.

Memories from the night before returned to him, as well as the curious feeling that someone had carried him up here. Only remembering the confrontation with Kaiba and the driving need to leave, Jou was unsure of what had taken place in the blanks of his mind where memories of what happened after he left his room should have been.

Trying to distract himself from the disconcerting fact that his memory was incomplete, he took a few moments to take notice of what his body was trying to tell him. Feeling his pulse throb in his ankle, Jou wiggled his toes and was glad to see that it didn't hurt as much as it had earlier.

Letting out a sigh that once again escalated to a wheeze and then to a full blown cough, Jou was far too busy trying to breathe to notice the door of his room open, or hear the shuffling footsteps as someone entered. However Jou did notice when that person sat down on the edge of his bed and he turned, hand over his mouth, to meet the gaze of his visitor, not at all surprised to see that it was Doctor Walker. He tried to smile in hello, but it turned out to be more of a grimace as the urge to cough started to strengthen once more.

"Hello Jou." Liam said gently, smiling in greeting. He nodded towards the door. "I'm sorry I didn't knock, but I heard you coughing and I think I may be able to help."

Jou just nodded, glad that the older male seemed to be well prepared. He was sick of feeling ill, and he hoped that this time what the Doctor could give him would either knock him out completely or cure him of his illness _and_ his bad luck. Jou snorted at that.

'_Wishful thinking.'_ He thought derisively, but was nevertheless pleased when Liam started to shuffle around in his bag, which Jou had just noticed he had left on the stool next to his bed. _'Please let him have something that will help.' _Jou silently wished, stifling another cough and rolling completely around to face the doctor.

A few minutes later, the doctor found what he was looking for and gave Jou a few pills to swallow, as well as handing him the glass of water that sat on his bedside table. With the pills downed and the water completely drunk, Liam then pulled out a bottle of what appeared to be a kind of liquid medicine, something that Jou thought looked similar to the cough medicine sitting in the bathroom cabinet back at home. Measuring out a few capfuls, Liam poured the amount he wanted Jou to take into the glass that had held the water, and handed it back to the blonde.

Giving the bottle a curious glance but unable to read the technical writing on the label, Jou instead took the offered glass and sniffed its contents. _'It smells alright.'_ Jou grimaced, then remembering an age old rule with medicine. _'Just because it smells and looks alright doesn't mean it tastes alright…it probably tastes horrible. Great.'_

With a pointed look from the doctor, Jou raised it to his lips and took a large gulp, immediately shuddering as the offensive taste of the medicine hit his tastebuds with full force. Even though his instincts told him to spit it all out and throw the glass and the remaining of its contents at the wall, Jou instead tipped his head back and swallowed the rest of the horrible tasting medicine, eyes squeezed shut and mouth burning with the disgusting flavour. Gulping, Jou handed back the glass and then shook his head, golden locks flapping, trying to rid himself of the taste.

Liam merely smiled at the boy's reaction and reached for a pitcher of water that had been standing next to the glass, pouring Jou a new glass of water that the blonde eagerly gulped down, desperate for relief. Taking the glass back, Liam placed it back on the table and sat silently at the edge of Jou's bed, biting his lip. Jounouchi, too busy still fussing over the bad taste in his mouth, didn't notice the thoughtful expression on the doctor's face until he looked up to see he was still there.

'_Why's he just sitt'n there?'_ Jou asked himself, curious as to why the doctor seemed to be hesitantly pensive.

After a moment, the doctor ran a hand through his hair and smiled slightly. "I went to go and see Kaiba after I visited you this morning." He informed the blonde, his smile dropping slightly. Jou raised an eyebrow and suppressed a hacking cough long enough to speak.

"Why?"

"Well, because I needed to tell him what I had discovered in my evaluation." Liam scratched his chin and then fixed Jou with an almost pitying look. "And now I'll tell you exactly what I told him, since you're awake."

Jou propped up his pillow and sat back, giving himself a few moments with his eyes closed while his head spun with the movement. "And, what did u find out?"

"Well, your pneumonia is starting to clear up, though you still should stay in bed and get rest anyway. Your ankle is healing well, but it will still be difficult to walk on for a month or so, so I recommend crutches."

A large smile spread over Liam's face at that point and Jou had to grin in response. "What?"

Liam chuckled. "I'm sure you won't take my advice, of course. So long as you strap it well for support, I'm sure you could manage walking on it for school. Do you have any friends who can drive, so you don't have to walk home?"

"Yeah, it's no problem." Jou lied, looking at the doctor without a shred of guilt.

Liam pursed his lips but didn't pursue it any further. He continued, "What I noticed, more than anything, was that you seem to be showing early warning signs of bronchitis."

Jou's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath, coughing slightly, but Liam merely waved a hand and tilted his head reassuringly. "Luckily for you, I've already started you on the medication, so we should be able to catch this before it gets severe. Really, all you need is peace and quiet, as well as a lot of bed rest and some good, healthy food. Which is exactly what you get here, for the most part."

Jou tilted his head in agreement, not wanting to nod for risk of a wave of nausea. Frowning after a moment, he looked up at the doctor, displeasure on his face. "Wait-a lot of bed rest? For how long?"

"A few days at the most, but you'll have to take care of yourself a little better than you have been for then next few months or so anyway to stop the pneumonia, fatigue or bronchitis from flaring up again." Liam shrugged. "Its normal procedure, it's not like it will do you any harm."

"A few days?"

Liam knew what the boy was getting at-he didn't want to stay at the mansion longer than what was necessary, but Liam didn't want to tell him that his grand escape may have to wait for another 4 days. When he didn't answer, Jou grumbled loudly, getting the point.

"When can I leave?"

"Sunday."

Jou's eyes widened and he whined in exasperation. "Sunday?! I have to stay here another _four_ days with Kaiba breathing down my neck?! Great!"

Liam raised his hands. "Hey, it's not my fault. That's my professional opinion, and you're going to have to get used to it the same way that Kaiba is going to have to. And I can assure you, he was quite disapproving."

Jou sighed and cleared his throat, disgusted by the phlegm gathering in his airways. "Just say it the way it is. Kaiba wasn't 'disapproving', he was pissed as hell. So what else is knew?!"

Liam chuckled again, getting quite fond of the direct and straightforward way the teen spoke. It was no wonder Seto and Jou could fight so easily. "You're quite right; he is rather temperamental isn't he?"

"More like an overbearing, arrogant jackass with anger management issues, if ya ask me." Jou muttered, more to himself than to the doctor, who smiled in agreement all the same.

"Well, perhaps that's true too, but I'm not sure that anyone besides you could get away with saying that and walk away still having themselves and their lives intact." Liam said kindly, his eyes twinkling as Jou frowned, mystified as to what the doctor was alluding to.

'_Anyone but me? Why would Kaiba tolerate shit from me better than from anyone else?'_ Jou thought to himself, confused. _'Coz he likes to take the time to play mind games with me, that's why. Coz he likes to piss me off, and I like to do the same.'_ He immediately answered himself, but it left him feeling even more puzzled than before. _'That's right, isn't it? He lets me piss him off coz then he has an excuse to go after me in revenge, right?'_

Liam smiled as Jou's honey eyes turned pensive, and he thought it would be a good time for him to depart. Clearing his throat, Liam grasped Jou's attention and stood up, his medical bag firmly in his grip. Jou blinked and remembered that he had company, looking up and noticing that the doctor was taking his leave. He smiled in thanks and Liam bowed before turning and walking silently out of the door.

Hearing the click as it shut behind the doctor, Jou rolled onto his side and was surprised to see that it didn't give him the same painful twist in his chest as it had before, and he also felt his breathing ease a lot faster. Staring at the darkness and waiting for sleep to claim him again, Jou couldn't help but wonder what Liam had meant when he had said that Seto treated Jou differently than he did other people.

'_Kaiba treats me differently than other people he doesn't like…does that mean that he hates me more or less than other people? God he's so hard to understand, it's like trying to mind-read a schizophrenic! His personality switches with his mood swings almost as often as I fall asleep in school.'_ Jou chuckled tiredly to himself, feeling his eyelids grow heavy. _'Heh, that's a funny idea. Kaiba's nuts. I have a psycho who likes to annoy me just for the hell of it. Great.'_

With one last grin, Jou snuggled into his pillow, and in the absence of his usual headache, drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

_

* * *

Teehee. Well, that's another chapter down. And guess what? I've already started the next one. So yeah, this story is baaaaack and up and running baby, yeah! I'm in a much better mood than at the start of this chapter, so ignore that bizarre assed AN at the start, lol._

_Hey hey guys, seeya next time! And review me; I wanna get lots of rewards for being good and not forgetting this story. blinks hopefully anyone got any Pocky spare?!? I loooove that stuff…for those of you who live in south Australia like me, go to rundle mall in the city centre-Shin Tokyo sells Pocky!!! LOTS OF IT! squeal_

_Ja Ne!!_

_YaoiFanLady 2 xox_


	10. On The Road To Hell

_Hey guys. _

_Well I did tell you that I'd get a new chapter to you soon, so I hope this is soon enough compared to how "soon" my last chapter was in relation to the one before it. Lol yeah that really did make more sense in my head._

_Anyway, Seto's starting to come around, and what's more-Jou is on the mend. HOORAY!!!_

_To those of you who wonder or flinch slightly at the problems with the names of characters, such as order, language it comes from, and spelling etcetera, please know that as any mistake I have made early on in the fic (such as the reversal of Jounouchi Katsuya for example) may in actual fact be wrong in terms of reality, for my story, the sake of continuality and also for wanting to keep making sense chapter by chapter, I cannot really do anything to change those errors. They are now a part of my story, as wrong as they are, and if you could please just understand that while I know they are there, I can't really change them now. It's a bit late for that. _

_I do apologise for those of you annoyed, confused or both…may you enjoy this story regardless of those small mistakes._

_Now then, let's get a wriggle on with the story, shall we!?_

_Here we go…_

**_

* * *

_**

**Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 10**

* * *

When night fell upon the Kaiba Mansion and Tuesday began to draw to a close, the house slowed to a dull buzz as the inhabitants-for the most part-started preparing for a good nights rest. Mokuba had stowed himself away in his room soon after dinner with a few scary movies, insistent that he could watch them by himself and still sleep free of nightmares. The day staff, Alice and Charles included, had all given the boy an "if-you-say-so" look and allowed him to do what he wanted.

The maids and butlers had then gathered their belongings, still chuckling over the miffed pout the younger Kaiba had shown them, and proceeded to leave for home. Soon after, those unfortunate souls who had the graveyard shifts proceeded to slowly dwindle through the door, yawning and rubbing tired eyes.

Allowing the staff time to make themselves a cup of coffee, Alice gave the new maids a briefing and then set them to work, Charles doing the same for his own underlings. At about 11:30, Mokuba slid awkwardly into the kitchen and, eyes never leaving his feet, asked Alice if she could watch the last movie with him. Chuckling at the embarrassment on the young boy's face, Charles patted the youth on the shoulder and took over as supervisor, allowing Alice to go and cuddle the young Master through the scarier parts of the film.

Having stayed on during the day and stalwartly refusing to leave after her graveyard shift ended, Alice had survived the day by having a short 5 hour break in which she had fitfully slept, waking up to discover that in her absence a large number of the maids had decided that the Entertainment Room really didn't need cleaning and were gossipping in the Library, snacking on tea and scones. While slightly impressed with their resourcefulness, she was nevertheless ropable and reprimanded them all most severely, setting them to work on the Library, the Entertainment Room, the second Study and the Wine Cellar.

After that mishap and several cups of coffee spiced with a little alcohol, Alice had bustled through the Mansion on a vendetta against uncleanliness with such fervour it was as though God himself had charged her with it and hadn't taken a break since. Charles shook his head and, noticing that even members of his own staff were paying closer attention to the Head Maid's orders than usual, took advantage of Alice's commandeering of his job and had a break of his own, reappearing just as dinner was ready, refreshed and ready for another night of work.

All in all, with night well and truly upon them, the house was in a state of peace and quiet. Their young guest was sound asleep in Room 12 and Mokuba Kaiba was snuggled securely in a bear hug, snoring in the arms of the Night Maid. At 12:30, the night staff began taking shifts while their co-workers dozed, and the Head Butler himself even drifted off to sleep in a comfortable lounge chair, content with the tranquillity of the Mansion.

Only one member of the household remained awake, blue eyes half open in irritation, a scowl curling his handsome features.

* * *

Seto Kaiba had never really been bothered by his sometimes frequent bouts of insomnia. He had always had work to do, always found something that needed to be done that would eventually drain him until he his body forced itself to sleep.

But now, at the end of a tiresome day and trying desperately to banish any and all thoughts of Jounouchi Katsuya from his frantically whirring mind, Seto lay awake and cursed the fact that his body was accustomed to not sleeping. He had already tried to occupy himself with his work, but after an hour had found that the numbers and statistics he had been trying to understand appeared to be in another language. What was more, Seto Kaiba discovered that if you stared at something for long enough it would turn into a picture as your eyes warped the image.

Disgusted that his sales figures had, after 20 minutes of being stared at, morphed into the attractive face of his houseguest, Seto had shoved his paperwork away, taken another cold shower just for the hell of it and slid into bed, hoping that sleep might give him some peace.

So naturally, after looking at the clock for the hundredth time and rolling over onto his side, the young CEO found that neither his mind nor his body were very keen on the idea of sleep. In fact, both had decided that they wanted to focus on the very topic that Seto had been avoiding, and both were becoming rather insistent. His mind was stubbornly reminding him that he had a responsibility to look after the young man sleeping a floor down from him in Room 12, and his body-though perhaps not with the conversational side of things but more with the 'interaction' bit that could come afterwards-was wholeheartedly agreeing, which was something that worried Seto slightly.

"Since when did my body and mind gang up on me?" He muttered irritably, realising an instant later that what he had just said sounded a little crazier out loud than it had in his mind.

Shaking his head and rationalising that his statement only proved the fact that he needed sleep, his brain chose that particular moment in time to remind him of what he and Liam had discussed earlier that day.

"_How long must Jounouchi stay for, Liam?_

"_If no one encourages him to over exert himself, then perhaps I will clear him to leave on Sunday. That's only 4 days away; do you think you can manage?"_

Immediately scowling at the words that ran through his head, Seto rolled once again onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

"Sunday. I've got four days. Four goddamn days. With him."

'_It's not that bad.' _His mind said quietly, but Seto immediately swatted that positive thought aside, far more concerned with how he was going to survive the next four days on-apparently-absolutely no sleep.

"What am I supposed to do? Even if I wanted to help-which I don't-that stupid mutt would accept it from me anyway. So what's the point?"

As much as that sounded rational out loud, he knew what the answer was. It didn't matter if Jou accepted Kaiba's help or not, because that was out of his control and he couldn't change that. However, he should at least offer his assistance to the blonde, even if it was just to satisfy the whinging of that meddling woman and interfering doctor. Regardless of who it was, Seto knew that Alice not been exaggerating when describing Jou's affliction to him and it was immoral of him not to react when a person was in such a dangerous predicament. He was just taking his time while he fumed over who it had turned out to be.

Finally, it seemed like his hands were tied. It was becoming apparent that the other inhabitants of the house seemed to be taking quite a shine to their new guest. Admittedly, since Jou had arrived the staff had been more focussed and productive, probably having something to do with Alice appearing to have adopted Jou as the son she never had.

What was more, Mokuba seemed dead keen on the idea of Jou staying, and Seto was slightly worried that his brother might invite Jou to stay on a more permanent basis if the fancy took him. And what could Seto do but say yes? It would make his brother happy, and perhaps stop Alice from trying to prod a reason as to why he disliked Jou so much out of him.

Seto sighed. Even in his head, he knew how false all of that reasoning must have sounded.

He had four days. He'd already put up with a little over three days of Jou's presence, and his mind reminded him that in those three days he had gotten the best sleep he'd had in months. A rose stain creeping to his cheeks as his body took note of why that was so, Seto coughed to distract himself and tried to stop the memories of that encounter from resurfacing, not really liking the idea of having to go through it all again.

"So now what?" Seto mumbled, pressing his head into his pillow. "I guess I just go and see him tomorrow, don't I?"

'_What do I say?'_

Interacting with people on a personal level had never been his strong point, and Seto sensed that he would probably end up needing to do exactly that when he spoke with Jou in the morning.

'_Hold on.' _Seto realised something suddenly, an epiphany he couldn't believe he'd not had before. _'How exactly am I supposed to help?'_

Thinking back on it, no one had actually mentioned to him exactly what he had to do to help Jou, just insisted that he should do something, as if hesitant to suggest any possible scenarios. And it was becoming more and more obvious, the more he thought about it, that all of the people who had told him over the past few days to help-Alice, Mokuba, Liam, Charles-were all alluding to the same thing.

They were telling him what they wanted, while not actually saying it.

They wanted Jounouchi to stay.

They had their reasons, their excuses that sounded appealing and reasonable. They wanted him to stay because it was where he was safe. Where he could be cared for while he got better. Where he could find refuge. Where he could be surrounded by good people, like a proper loving family.

Where he could be with Seto.

They had been right not to suggest that one particular point to the businessman, as he would have most likely done exactly what their worst fears had imagined, though perhaps with a little more maniacal cackling than previously thought possible.

In fact, lying in bed at a god-awful 2 in the morning, Seto had the distinct urge to stalk through the house with a butterknife and exact his revenge. That urge soon dissipated as common sense told him that a butterknife might not have been the best choice of weapon, his tired brain soon after registering that he was indeed delusional from lack of sleep. Pulling silken sheets to slide over his thin form and rest intimately around the most private curves of his body, Seto noticed that his eyelids were becoming heavy.

It finally appeared that he was on the edge of sleep, and, closing his eyes, Seto thanked his good fortune that he didn't have to put up with a swamping of filthy thoughts concerning Jou that would prevent him from comfortably laying on his stomach.

No sooner had he thought that, as if to spite him, the rather alluring picture of Jou's face swept through his head.

Rosy cheeks…awe-inspiringly beautiful honey eyes half open, glittering with gold…spun silk-like strands of blonde hair trailing over a well angled face…elegantly shaped lips opened in preparation for a heart melting kiss…small pink tongue visible through those same lips…

'_Oh goddamnit.'_

After a few moments of heavy breathing and rather exotic mental images, Seto slid out from between his bed sheets and strode for the bathroom. It seemed apparent to him that, contrary to his assumptions earlier on that night, Seto would be surviving the next few days on an exceedingly large amount of sleep.

Seto didn't know if he was supposed to be pleased or irritated, but there was one thing he knew for sure.

"This is all Jou's fault." Seto insisted stubbornly, gasping as freezing water hit his sexually heated flesh.

'_Damn you, Jou!' _

* * *

When 8:00 in the morning came and went, the staff of the Kaiba Mansion began to get nervous. It was a Wednesday, which meant that Kaiba was usually at his busiest, what with the middle of the week meaning that deadlines for the end of the week were fast approaching, and affairs from the previous two days had now been given substantial time to grow in importance and promptly needed to be attended to. Today was the day that very important things needed to be done, and done properly.

And Kaiba was nowhere to be seen.

The flighty day-maids, who all knew that according to normal schedule, Seto Kaiba was up at the break of dawn to prepare for his day of work and school (though the CEO hadn't attended all week), were twittering amongst themselves, eager to theorise-or rather, gossip-as to why the Master of the House hadn't shown himself. The butlers, too, were eager to discuss possible conspiracy theories, bustling about with a little less fervour than usual and irritating the buggery out of their superior.

The only night maid who really knew what had been going on these past few days was remaining tight-lipped, instead feigning innocence and pretending to be as clueless as her underlings when she was hit with a barrage of questions concerning Seto's lack of presence in the house. They didn't need to know anymore than what their jobs detailed, and Alice wouldn't involve them in affairs that had nothing to do with them, though admittedly it would have been nice to talk to someone about it.

Charles also knew the basics of what was really going on in the Mansion, but not enough that Alice could adequately talk to him about it without having to explain everything from the beginning. And besides, he had his own problems to deal with.

The aforementioned silver haired man was currently using all of his knowledge of the back passages in the Mansion to hunt down the troublesome young butlers who had, out of sheer cheek, started the rumour that the CEO had stayed up all night watching porn movies he kept hidden in his business files, worn himself out and was currently sleeping off the best night he had ever had. Apparently, the maids had thought it was amusing and so the young men on the staff had promptly shown off their bravado by puffing out their chests and daring to mouth off against their employer. Hearing of their claims just after 6, Charles had swept out of the kitchen with an infuriated huff and disappeared behind a curtain, not to have been seen since.

Alice, who could only feel sorry for the rest of the male staff who were innocent of their co-workers endeavours but were nonetheless going to get a bullocking anyway, had smiled to herself and kept to the kitchen; once again she was blatantly refusing to return home once her night shift had ended.

Currently, maids were busying themselves with breakfast while Alice polished some of the finery, watching with amused brown eyes as the younger Master of the house dragged his half-asleep body into the kitchen and demanded, much in the same tones as his older brother, that he wanted a mug of coffee and wanted it now.

Eyes sparkling, Alice replied with laughing tones that the young Master was far too young for coffee and that it was hot chocolate or nothing. After pouting and muttering about senile old women under his breath, Mokuba heaved himself into a chair and dolefully stared at Alice while she busied herself with his drink, as though trying to persuade her without words that he really did want a coffee, and he really did want it right now.

Completely ignoring him, Alice placed the mug on the table and watched, eyes twinkling, as Mokuba's brown orbs nevertheless lit up as the smell of fresh chocolate hit his senses. Within moments he had grabbed the mug and yelped, having discovered that it was too hot for him to touch. Placing it hurriedly back on the table and noticing the oven mitts Alice had used with a nonplussed expression, he instead fixed Alice with a bored stare, fingers tapping unconsciously.

When one of the maids washing the dishes leaned over to the maid who was drying them and said, a little louder than necessary, that the butlers were saying all sorts of things about the mysterious circumstances of their Masters' nightlife, Mokuba's ears pricked and he turned to stared at them. Sensing his gaze, they turned to meet his disapproving glare and hurried out of the kitchen, not even looking back to see if he was still watching them.

'_I wonder if he knows how much he reminded me of Seto just then?' _Alice thought to herself, watching with interest as the expression on Mokuba's face softened once again and he let out a huge, unabashed yawn. _'They really are related, though sometimes it's hard to tell. They're so different sometimes, personality wise. But then Mokuba does something like that and immediately I can see some of his brother in his face. I wonder what would happen if Seto allowed some of his brother to shine through in him?'_

"Alice, what do you think?"

"Hmm?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes, but grinned anyway. The maid had obviously been thinking about something, that much was apparent from the vacant expression on her face and the lack of attention. He reached out for his mug and then unconsciously withdrew his hand again, thinking. "Why do you think big brother is late today?"

"Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"Haven't the foggiest." Alice shrugged, apparently not too worried about the reasoning behind her boss' disappearance, but was avoiding eye contact with the young Master anyway. "It is unusual, but not unheard of. Perhaps he's working in his room."

Mokuba shook his head, black mane shaking. "No, he doesn't do that 'till after he's come out, and he hasn't yet."

Alice rubbed a particularly grubby spot on one of the silver spoons and looked up at the younger Kaiba, frowning. "So what do you think, then?"

"Maybe he's slept in?" Mokuba said innocently, swinging his feet and kicking the legs of the stool he was sitting on.

Alice smiled at the naivety of the youngster and shrugged again; taking the time to put down the silver wear she was polishing, she waggled a finger at the ebony haired Kaiba.

"You know better, Mokuba. Your brother doesn't sleep in-in fact, he hardly sleeps at all.'

Pouting, Mokuba reached over and grabbed the now cooled mug of chocolate, blowing on it and then tentatively taking a sip. "Alright, why's he still in his room then? He hasn't even come out for his morning coffee, and he's told me he can't get through the day without it."

Alice chuckled. "Is that why you want coffee nowadays then? Because Seto can't survive without a cup?"

The boy frowned and pouted, grudgingly conceding with a nod that the reason may indeed have had something to do with Seto's addiction.

"Well, you're much too young, and besides, your brother adds a little something to it in the mornings to wake him up, and you are definitely not getting any of that."

"Awwwww, Allliiiice. You're meeeeaaaannnn…" Mokuba whined, wrinkling his nose. He paused and then a hopeful glint lit in his eyes, hearing the sound of approaching footsteps outside the kitchen door. Turning and expecting to see Seto stride through into the kitchen, his face fell when Charles swept through the swinging door and stopped just beside the younger Master.

"Ah, Charles." Alice said amiably, trying not to laugh at the expression of childish disappointment on Mokuba's face. "How was the hunt?"

Waving a gloved hand, Charles flicked his fringe out of his face and furrowed his eyebrows, his gaze meeting the look of despondent rejection on the young Master's face. "It didn't go as well as I had hoped but…Mokuba, what on earth is the matter?"

"Nothing…"

Perplexed, Charles looked from the youth to meet the amused gaze of his fellow Head Servant, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Mokuba is worried about Seto not being awake yet." Alice explained simply, handing a white towel to the old man, who swept it over his bent arm on instinct.

"So he hasn't emerged yet then."

"No, and everyone's saying mean things about why." Mokuba said sullenly, looking up at Charles when the silver haired man placed a hand comfortingly on the boys shoulder.

"Not anymore, young Master. I've seen to that." Charles' eyes wrinkled in a smile. "And you shouldn't worry about your brother. He'll be out soon, I'm sure."

Mokuba sat up and downed a massive gulp of his drink, wiping his mouth a moment later and frowning. "How do you know?"

"While I was following-"

"You mean '_stalking_', don't you?" Alice interjected playfully, finding the idea of the old man sneaking like a ninja through the Mansion thoroughly entertaining.

Charles rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out. "Fine. While I was _stalking_ one of my staff through the hall, I walked past-"

"You mean '_skulked_', right?"

"Yes Alice. Anyway, I _skulked_ past your brother's bedroom and heard the water from the shower in the énsuite running."

"So?"

Charles smiled at the almost painful look on the young boys face as he tried to process the information so early in the morning. "So if he's having a shower, that means he's getting ready to come out and start the day, doesn't it?"

There was a pause, in which Mokuba swung his feet a little more and drank the rest of his chocolate, seeming to put two and two together a little slower than usual. Suddenly his eyes lit up and the corners of his mouth twitched in a smile. "Oh. Yeah, I guess."

"Very good, young Master." Charles said amiably, grey eyes crinkled in his fatherly smile. He turned to Alice and bowed, winking. "Well then, Id best be off. The hunt is still on, after all."

Alice giggled and wrinkled her nose in amusement. "Yes, you should probably go after them. Go use all those years of ninja training I know you've got stashed up your sleeve, you old devil."

Charles simply shook his head despairingly and walked smoothly out of the kitchen again. Mokuba rolled his eyes at the bizarre mood that the maid was in and slid off of his chair, making to leave as well.

"You're off to school then?" Alice inquired, turning back to her polished crockery and cutlery.

"Yeah." The raven haired boy nodded and smiled before leaving, adding something over his shoulder as he left. "If you see Seto, tell him that he should go talk to Jou sometime. Ok?"

Alice smiled to herself, inwardly gloating at how intimate and complicated everything was getting between the two men. Soon, Seto would have no other choice but to stop avoiding the young boy he pretended to hate so much.

"No problem, Mokuba. I'll pass that message on as soon as I can. I won't forget."

* * *

Jou woke that morning to find that the curtains and window to his room had been opened slightly, allowing some of the morning sunlight and fresh air to waft in. Smelling the refreshing aroma of freshly cut grass and the warm wind tickling over his face, the blonde took a few moments to just lie there and enjoy the simple peace of it all.

There was no father yelling at him to get his lazy ass out of bed. No alarm for school screeching in his ear. No school at all, in fact. That in itself was a relief, as Jou hated the attitudes of his teachers and most of the bullies and arrogant students at school.

'_Another thing I can be grateful for.' _Jou thought to himself, taking a deep breath and only feeling a small pang on pain. _'No school means no Herat. No Herat means no running or getting beaten up. And that means I can lie here and relax without hurting.'_

Jou sat up and noticed the jug of water and the glass that had attentively been placed on his bedside table. Having a glass and then shifting to sit on the edge of his bed, Jou ran a hand through knotted hair and sighed.

'_It's been a while since I could do that, just sit and not hurt. It's a nice change.'_

Jou snorted and slowly, cautiously, got out of bed. Standing and stretching, he felt tightness in his chest and a slight tenderness in his healing ankle, but otherwise felt pretty good considering.

Considering where he was.

'_It's all coz of Kaiba too. I feel better coz of him and the people he knows. Now __that's__ bizarre.'_

Taking note of the freshly washed and ironed clothes that were sitting on the desk just across from where he was, Jou wandered over and saw his reflection in the mirror beside the wardrobe. The young man staring back at him was thinner in the face than he had remembered, with an overwhelming messy mop of blonde hair and a generally dopey, half asleep expression making him look as though he'd just woken from the first sleep he'd had in months.

Jou shrugged, taking note of the terseness in his shoulders. It certainly wasn't the first sleep he'd had in years, but it was certainly the best.

Considering the circumstances.

Grabbing the spare clothes and sliding on the pair of slippers that had been let by the door for him, Jou opened the door and poked his head out, staring at the vast hallway that greeted him. With a dawning horror, Jou realised that he didn't know how to get to a bathroom, or even the kitchens where he knew Alice would most likely be. Since he hadn't been conscious when they'd taken him up to the room, he had no clue how to get back to where he had started from.

'_Oh goddammit. Stupid Kaiba, having a bigger house than necessary. He WANTS me to get lost, doesn't he?!' _

"Well, I guess I just go for it, and see where I end up. I'm bound to bump into somebody."

Muttering to himself, Jou shuffled himself down the corridor and found that it split into two at the end. Taking the left on, Jou took a few more turns before coming to a staircase. Having no idea which floor of the mansion he was on, Jou took a few moments to process through his memories until he remembered that the kitchen was on the bottom floor, a few hallways off from the main entrance.

"So I just keep going down, right?" Jou wondered aloud, judging a moment later that the worst case scenario would be that he would end up in the cellar, which may possibly contain food.

Smiling to himself, he readjusted the clean clothes he had stashed under his arms and kept going, following the long and endless pathways, passing by rooms that were being cleaned by maids and butlers. Deciding against asking someone for directions, stubbornly believing that he could do it himself, the young man once again found himself at the top of a flight of stairs, but this time they seemed slightly familiar.

'_I think I'm near the kitchens. See, I can do it, no sweat. That was easy.' _Jou chuckled triumphantly to himself, raising a foot to step down towards the next floor, but a voice behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"What are you doing out, mutt?"

Turning slowly around as though his worst nightmare had come true, Jou looked up and met eye to eye with the very man who had been in his thoughts since he'd woken up.

"K-Kaiba."

Smirking at the stammer that had somehow managed to work its way out of Jou's mouth, the tall brunette nodded and walked down to stand next to the smaller boy, hands in pockets. "Yes it's me. I do live here, you know."

Feeling his face colour in anger, Jou pushed aside the retort he had on the tip of his tongue and glared at him instead, blue eyes boring into his own. After a few moments of silent fuming, Jou turned his head and looked away, ignoring the victorious chuckle that came from the form beside him.

"You're a mess, mutt. Aren't dogs supposed to be relatively well groomed animals?" Jou opened his mouth to snap back a reply, but Seto continued, a playful glint in his cerulean eyes. "Maybe your Master hasn't been looking after you very well."

That had Jou lost for words. In all their fights and banter, Kaiba had only mentioned the whole "mutt needing a Master" thing a few times, and by that point Jou had become too pissed off to take it any other way than an insult. And looking back, the snide remarks which contained that curious word had indeed been spoken in spite, meant to hurt.

But this time, the look on Kaiba's face coupled with the alluring undertones and the somehow relaxed body posture made Jou immediately think that Kaiba wasn't actually out to taunt this time around. So why mention it? The man in question was scrutinising Jou attentively, not hiding the fact that he was watching for Jou's reaction.

Shaking his head, Jou grimaced at the pangs of pain in his head and blinked a few times, regaining control. Looking up, he saw Kaiba watching his expression intently and narrowed his eyes. "I don't have a Master Kaiba, you know that."

Tilting his head and then finally allowing a half smile to curl his lips, Kaiba fixed Jou with an intense stare. "So who takes care of you, then?"

"I take care of myself." Jou shot back irritably, not liking where Kaiba was headed with the conversation.

"Well from what I've heard, you haven't been doing a very good job of that." Seto said abruptly, giving Jou's torso the once over pointedly.

Bringing both arms up to his chest in an unconscious effort to cover himself, pointless as it was, Jou sighed and then looked at his feet. "You know, then? She told you?"

Fully aware of who he was referring to, Seto nodded. "She did. She was worried about you."

"She shouldn't be. Its nothing she needs to get involved in."

"Well now she is involved. Since the moment you let her see your injuries, she became a part of this, as much as you are." Seto paused at this, seeing the guilt fleet over the blonde's expression. He waved a hand and Jou looked back up at him, eyes glimmering. "Now that I know, I'm involved as well-"

"What's it got to do with you!?"

"-and there's nothing either of us can do about it now, so stop wallowing in self-pity. It's pathetic."

Jou opened and closed his mouth a few times, face burning in anger and lost for a reasonably coherent thing to say. What on earth was Kaiba trying to tell him? He wouldn't even mention him knowing or being involved unless there was something more to it, and since it was Kaiba of all people, Jou was slightly concerned with what that could be.

'_Is he telling me to accept that he and I have something in common now, or is he just trying to piss me off into leaving again, like last time?' _Jou wondered to himself, eyes tracing the patterns in the marble floor as his brain processed the information. _'Why can't he just say something like a normal person, and have it make sense?!'_

"What are you trying to say, Kaiba?"

The taller man rolled his eyes and pulled his hands out of his pockets, placing one on each of Jou's shoulders and pulling the smaller man to face him squarely. Needless to say, Jou's entire attention was now focussed on Kaiba, not expecting to be grabbed like that. He'd even dropped the bundle of clothes he'd been carrying out of shock. The brunette bent his head slightly until he and Jou were on equal eye levels, and took a deep breath.

"I'm trying to say that I know what's going on with you getting abused, and I have a pretty good idea of who's doing it to you." Jou opened his mouth, but Seto cut him off. "Shut up, let me finish. Now, since I know, it would be _immoral _and _unethical_ for me to do nothing. I can't have you stay here and heal from your injuries only to have you go back out there in the big bad world where you most definitely will get the shit kicked out of you again."

At this point, Jou shut his mouth and silently fumed, noticing how Kaiba had slid in the snide little comments about his vulnerability without so much as blinking. He resisted rolling his eyes. _'Even when he's trying to do the right thing, he still finds a way to be a jackass. Typical.'_

Meanwhile, Kaiba kept talking, and Jou had the distinct impression that this was the most that the brunette had ever said to him. Ever.

"I have to do something. I have an obligation to, so don't take it any other way or I will have to correct you and your not going to like that. And it's not just me who apparently seems to feel the uncontrollable urge to meddle. Alice, Charles and Mokuba have all become honorary members of the Jounouchi Katsuya fan club, with that damned maid being the president. Oh, and one more thing that I don't understand is that every one you meet somehow manages to either love you or hate you, and I have no idea why that is. You either charm them or piss them off. Go figure you're in so much trouble, stupid mutt."

Tilting his head at that rather curious statement that had flown from Kaiba's shapely lips, Jou reached up and gripped both hands around Kaiba's wrists, getting his attention. The brunette closed his mouth and stopped talking, frowning at the interruption.

"What?"

Jou smirked at the fact that Kaiba hadn't obviously noticed exactly what he'd just said, and what it alluded to. "Love me or hate me, huh? Everyone I meet, is it?"

Kaiba leaned back at the blonde's words, eyes calculating. However, the grasp on his wrists that the other man had prevented him from moving too far and Jou was trying desperately to prevent the laughter that was trying desperately to escape from him.

"So which is it with you, Kaiba?"

"What…what are you talking about, mutt?" Kaiba suddenly snapped, becoming increasing uncomfortable with the situation.

"You just said that everyone I meet either hates me or loves me, that I either charm them or piss them off. So which is it with you, Kaiba?"

"Mutt, don't you dare start with me…" Kaiba began threateningly, eyes narrowed at the expression on Jou's face.

"Well smartass? Have I charmed you or pissed you off?"

"I can tell you which one you're doing right now." Kaiba ground out through clenched teeth, failing to suppress the blush that was creeping over his cheeks.

"I don't want right now; I want the answer as a whole." Jou said matter-of-factly, feeling most of his old spark return to him. He hadn't gotten to talk to someone for a while now, and he was feeling quite frisky, so to speak. What was more entertaining was the rose stain on Kaiba's cheeks, which fuelled him to continue recklessly. "Do you love me, or hate me? It's really an easy question. Even an emotionally retarded person like you can answer it."

Kaiba's face reddened almost immediately, but it certainly wasn't out of embarrassment. Seething in anger, Kaiba took a menacing step forward and got right into Jou's personal space, hot breath licking at the blonde's face. "I'm not emotionally retarded, you pain in the ass mongrel, you got that?"

Looking upwards and meeting Seto's narrowed crystal eyes with ones of defiant honey, Jou made no effort to move away from the body in front of him, calling Seto's bluff. "Sometimes you sure seem like it, _Seto_. Even now, when you claim you want to help me, in actual fact it's just all talk. You can't do anything even _remotely_ kind or good-natured without the promise of something in return as encouragement. Like I said-_emotionally retarded_."

Growling at the mocking tones in which the golden haired boy had spoken his name, Seto slid his hands from Jou's shoulders to bunch them in the collar of his shirt, lifting Jou up slightly. "You should watch what you say to people bigger than you, pup. You don't have a Master to protect you. You might get _hurt_."

Completely ignoring the threat in Seto's words, Jou crinkled his nose at the Master reference and pulled Seto's hands away from the neckline of his shirt, holding the appendages together with both hands in case the bigger teen made a grab for his shirt again. "There it is again! What is with you and the Master thing?"

"You're impulsive, annoying and arrogant, mutt. You need someone to keep you in check and make sure you don't do or say anything that can get you into deeper shit than what you're in right now. But then again, I doubt there's a single person on the planet who would want to be with you for an extended period of time without taking some kind of medication."

Jou sneered at the smirk on the face that was inches from his own, and narrowed his eyes. "So what, that makes you the perfect candidate doesn't it? You're just as arrogant and annoying as I am, and what's even better is that you're probably taking some kind of stress meds. Pity it doesn't do anything to deflate your oversized head, but you can't win all the time."

"Oh, aren't you so clever, Jou. I can see what a few days sleep can do for you-now you're coming up with stuff my kid brother was saying when he was 12." Seto stepped closer again, touching noses and cold eyes boring into Jou's, voice dangerously low and scathing. "I would congratulate you, but you have to be stern with dogs or they get the idea they can do whatever they hell they want. It's a shame you haven't learnt that lesson yet, is that the topic of next week's dog school?"

Jou felt his heart thud in his throat, and took it as a welcome indicator that adrenaline was well and truly kicking in. He hadn't had a fight like this with Kaiba in ages, and having the tall and aggressive Seto Kaiba right up in his face was giving Jou shivers. He growled at the dog comments, berating himself that growling was a very canine thing to do.

"Shove it up your ass, Kaiba." Jou finally snapped, finally thinking of something he hadn't mentioned yet. "Oh no, but wait-isn't that _your_ Master's job?"

He'd said enough.

Kaiba opened his mouth, but all that came out was a low hiss of anger. Even with the grip that Jou had on Kaiba's wrists, somehow they still managed to twist and free themselves from his grip, both hands a moment later practically picking Jou's thin frame up and pushing him up against the wall. Shoving him, hard, Kaiba grabbed a hold of both Jou's wrists and pinned them above his head, pressing their bodies together a moment later so that Jou was well and truly restrained.

Kaiba's furious expression, his cold eyes dancing with anger and frustration, were centimetres from Jou's face, shallow breathing tickling over Jou's lips and body forced up against the cold wall with a large amount of pressure. Jou felt breathing become difficult as his stretched upper body made it exhausting for his still healing lungs to obtain oxygen, but that was the least of Jou's worries.

The time had come. Kaiba was going to kill him.

After a few seconds, Kaiba swallowed and opened his mouth, and Jou attentively waited for the last words he was ever going to hear. "I have no Master, Katsuya, and I never will."

Struggling to breathe, Jou smirked one last time. "If you…say…so."

Noticing the strain in Jou's voice, Kaiba released his arms and watched as they fell limply to Jou's sides. He made no movement though, still pushing the smaller boy against the wall menacingly. "I do say so. But you know what?"

Gulping large amounts of air, Jou found his voice and met Seto's glare with half opened eyes. "What?"

"I think having one would do_ you_ good. Maybe keep your tongue in check."

Jou frowned and looked down, finding the sliver of skin visible in between the buttons of the other mans shirt suddenly very interesting. _'Again with the Master thing.' _he thought, oxygen allowing his brain to think properly. _'He thinks I should have a Master who can keep my tongue in check, then. Why does that sound so damn sexual? And coming from him!'_

Looking back up, he saw that blue eyes were still watching him attentively, and the thin yet strong form pressed against him hadn't moved. _'And that was one hell of a mood swing too. So he's sensitive about his sexuality huh? Not to mention his obsession with me and getting in my face…he's being doing a lot of that too. He's acting even weirder than usual. Oh, and he stalled answering my questions about how I make him feel too. So what does that all add up to?'_

It clicked, and Jou felt a blush steal across his face. And knots tie in his throat. And lets not forget the skipped beat that his heart just did and the twist his insides had just turned.

"Oh."

'_He doesn't hate me.'_

Suspicious, Seto grabbed Jou's jaw and turned his face to look at him. "What?"

Jou grinned and reached up a hand, gently batting Seto's hand off of his face. "You don't hate me, do you?"

Taken aback, Seto frowned and clenched his jaw. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I've just figured it all out! You don't hate me!"

Turning his head to the side, the eldest Kaiba huffed and crossed his arms, finally moving a little away from the blonde. "You're making no sense, mutt."

"Of course I'm not; it wouldn't make sense to an emotionally retarded person like you."

Seto was about to snap and make a grab at Jou's throat when he saw the laughing expression in the golden eyes. Somehow, knowing that the blonde was laughing at him deflated his urge to strangle the pale neck that was so close to him, instead snorting out his nose and shoving his hands in his pockets. "Like I said before, I'm not emotionally inept. Didn't you learn last time?"

"I meant it last time. Now I'm just taking the piss. Can't you tell the difference?"

"With you? No."

"Well then you don't know me as well as I thought you did. Pity."

Seto stood back and frowned further, at a loss for words as to why the boy had gone from angry to playful in less than a few minutes and didn't at all seem bothered that Kaiba had tried to hurt him. Somehow, that sent an uncomfortable shiver down Seto's spine. What was event more perplexing was why Jou hadn't told Kaiba to get the hell off of him, like he had every other time Kaiba had invaded his personal space in a fight.

'_What's going on?'_

"Why do you look so pleased?" Seto asked sceptically, narrowed eyes warily watching the grin that was slowly spreading across Jou's face.

"No reason." Jou shrugged and once again felt the twisting knots in his upper back. "Hey, my back hurts."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" Seto said coldly, defences raised by the sudden change in mood of the other boy.

"I need a shower. You know, to relax." Jou said matter-of-factly, cocking his head at the fleetingly mortified expression on Kaiba's face at the mention of relaxing by having a shower. "Where's the bathroom?"

Seto took a few moments and then looked around. Raising a hand, he pointed in the direction Jou had come. "One of them is that way. Take the first left and then three doors down. Find it yourself."

Jou hummed for a second and then a sly glint appeared in his eyes. "Ya know, I got lost this morning and I still have no clue exactly where I am, so could ya show me where it is?"

"No." Seto bluntly replied, mistrustful of Jou's motives. "My directions are simple enough; even a dog like you could follow them without a problem."

Jou folded his arms and pouted. "You're not being very nice, now are you?" When there came no reply, Jou threw his hands up in mock defeat. "Ok, so what if I told you I had a shocking sense of direction?"

"I'd believe you."

"And show me where the bathroom is?"

"Good try. But no."

Jou sighed. "Fine, I guess we will have to do this the hard way then."

Before Kaiba could ask what he meant, Jou had stooped down, gathered up the clothes he had dropped earlier and bundled them under one arm. With the other, he reached out and firmly grabbed one of Seto's hands, turning a second later and marching off towards the direction Seto had pointed to earlier, a shocked and slightly angry brunette trailing behind him.

Jerking on the iron grip that had his hand, Seto felt himself being insistently pulled down the hallway, trying his best to resist while still maintaining some of his dignity. It didn't help that every now and then Jou would glance back with an evil, almost feline grin on his face and chuckle at the mix between frustrated and embarrassed that his captive had as an expression.

Seto would get even for this, that much was certain.

But right now, he was struggling to maintain a calm breathing pattern, his recently hormonal body reminding him that the object of his night-time desires was leading him to a bathroom for a shower. A blush was permanently smeared on his cheeks, his attention focussed entirely on the hand that was gripping his and the way that Jou's hips swayed as he walked. Not to mention the obvious contours of his ass in the one-size-too-small pants he had borrowed.

Kaiba felt his pulse race, but he wasn't sure if it was because he was in contact with Jou or because he had the sneaking suspicion that Jou had clued in concerning how Seto was feeling towards the blonde nowadays.

Either way he looked at it, the final verdict remained the same.

Seto Kaiba was going straight to hell. And Jou was leading him there.

_

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_

_And I have been asked by some of you for the birthdates of all characters that I have in my possession….so TA DA! Also one reviewer mentioned that they are into horoscopes so I also designated the birthdates with their corresponding star signs. Here we go:_

_Yu-Gi-Oh! BIRTHDAYS_

_Original: Jounouchi Katsuya, Dubbed: Joey Wheeler, Birthdate: January 25, Star Sign: Aquarius_

_Original: Otougi Ryuuji, Dubbed: Duke Devlin, Birthday: February 28, Star Sign: Pisces_

_Original: Kajiki Ryouta, Dubbed: Mako Tsunami, Birthdate: March 1, Star Sign: Pisces_

_Original: Esper Roba, Dubbed: Espa Roba, Birthdate: April 1, Star Sign: Aries_

_Original: Honda Hiroto, Dubbed: Tristan Taylor, Birthdate: April 19, Star Sign: Aries_

_Original: Mutou Yugi, Dubbed: Yugi Muto, Birthdate: June 4, Star Sign: Gemini_

_Original: Kaiba Mokuba, Dubbed: Mokuba Kaiba, Birthdate: July 7, Star Sign: Cancer_

_Original: Insector Haga, Dubbed: Weevil Underwood, Birthdate: July 21, Star Sign: Cancer_

_Original: Mazaki Anzu, Dubbed: Tea Gardner, Birthdate: August 18, Star Sign: Leo_

_Original: Bakura Ryou, Dubbed: Bakura Ryou (Bakura-first name), Birthdate: September 2, Star Sign: Virgo_

_Original: Mutou Sugoroku, Dubbed: Grandpa or Solomon Muto, Birthdate: October 4, Star Sign: Libra_

_Original: Kaiba Seto, Dubbed: Seto Kaiba, Birthdate: October 25, Star Sign: Scorpio_

_Original: Kujaku Mai, Dubbed: Mai Valentine, Birthdate: November 20, Star Sign: Scorpio_

_Original: Dinosaur Ryuzaki, Dubbed: Rex Raptor, Birthdate: December 29, Star Sign: Capricorn_

_There we are guys. I hope I have pleased you by presenting this to you!! Love me in a I LOVE REVEIWS!!_

_Oh, and guess what? This is my longest one yet? I finished this a while ago, but I've been working a lot during the days so I haven't been able to get onto the net. Hopefully there won't be too big a gap between me finishing this chapter and it getting posted. Wish me luck!!_

_Seto'swhiterose, I know your there! How r u my friend? Now I'm 18, we must have drinks sometime. Lol if that can never happen sniff, at least we can have a virtual drink lol. chinks wine glass with yours CHEERS! chugs whole glass. ahhhhhh much better. Anyway, let me know what you think of this chapter. There's a difference between me reading it and interpreting it to you, or someone else, because I wrote it so I know what I meant to say, but an outsider like yourself who is unbiased can read it for what it is. Let me know if it's a load of ramble, ok? I base a lot of this story on what u judge about it, so if there's a bit your not keen on, such as a development of character, I will try to gradually change that as the chapters progress so that is to your liking. I'm flexible like that. LOL_

_Oh, and it's dead on 2:00 in the morning now, so GOD MORNING EVERYONE!! _

_(Yeah-I'm in a good mood. Lol)_

_Mwaa, love yas all. Katie, YaoiFanLady 2_


	11. The People Of Domino Know Best

_I posted the 10__th__ chapter a few days ago, so heres hoping it won't take too long to get this one out. It probably won't be as long, but meh. It's the content you're after in this story, and I'm glad to say that this is one of the ruder, more sexual chapters yet. Tut tut tut! It's all Seto and his hormones that are to blame, ok kiddies?! So yeah, this is rated M15, as with past chapters, but I'm pretty sure that it will go up to R or something by the end of it all. And to boot, the rest of the story from here on out will probably be M15/R as well._

_Yeah, I thought you guys might like that._

_Hell, I know I'm liking it. Lol_

_Oh, and how was my birthday's thingie? Useful? Who's born on the same day as a character!? Not me. Unfortunately. pout the closest I got is Honda before my birthday and Yuugi afterwards. Ah well. _

_Enough babble! (There's enough of it in my chapters! lol)_

_Here we go…_

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Jounouchi's Prerogative

**Chapter 11**

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"You will tell me when we get near the bathroom, wont you?"

Seto looked up at the blonde haired boy who was dragging him through his own house and frowned at the almost gloating expression on Jou's face. It was almost as though the boy was laughing at him inside, silently cheering that he'd finally caught the stern, detached Seto Kaiba off guard and was now having his way with him.

Not literally.

But as he was being led through the hallways of his mansion, Seto took the moment to look around him and realised with a start that they were indeed well past the bathroom that Seto had mentioned a few moments before.

Why Seto hadn't noticed that they'd missed it was because of a few reasons, and all of them didn't bode well for the CEO's sanity.

The first was that he'd been preoccupied with trying to think of something to say that could persuade the blonde boy to let go of his hand and get out of his sight so that he could salvage some of his waning self-control.

The second was that-once he'd failed to figure out a plausible answer to number 1-his attention had been focussed solely on the hand that was clenching his own in a stubborn death grip and other rather _attention-seeking_ parts of the blonde's body.

Like the way that the shirt Jou was wearing-which looked suspiciously similar to one of his own that he hadn't got back from the washing-somehow seemed to hug his body in a way that Seto hadn't noticed clothes could do. Also, how warm his hand was to the touch, which brought on the horrifyingly sudden curiosity that wondered if the rest of Jou was as soft and warm as his hand was.

Batting the dirty thoughts to the side, Seto noticed another worrying thing that had been happening a lot lately; he was beginning to become aware of things about the blonde he'd never cared to look at before. Not innocent things, like which direction the teen tilted his head when he was thinking, or what tune he hummed when he was distracted. No, there was nothing innocent in the things that Seto noticed in the young man before him who was slowly but forcefully leading him on a fool's errand through the halls of Kaiba mansion.

It was far more adolescent and hormonal that that, something that Kaiba had prided himself on being in control of, up until recently. The part of his mind that had thoroughly enjoyed the erotic fantasies that Seto's dreams had recently reduced themselves to had spent enough time squashed into a corner by the rest of the businessman's stubborn and uncompromising psyche, and was now wreaking havoc with Seto's mental stability as the sensible half of his brain sat back and tried to process what was going on.

So of course, the only thing that Seto noticed at that particular point in time was naughty things like how utterly sexual Jou's neck and throat were, framed by the golden locks that were reflecting morning sunlight from the windows in the corridor. Like how completely maddening the unintentional sway of his hips as he walked made Seto want to reach out and grab a hold of them to press Jou's buttocks against the front of his body. He clearly remembered the soft firmness of the boy's rear when he had groped him just a few days ago as Jou had attempted to escape, though it seemed like an age ago now, and it made him want to touch again just to refresh his memory.

He noticed how, when Jou looked to the side to inspect a possible detour corridor, the pout that curled his lips made them utterly fascinating, and the quick glance that Seto stole at the kissable pink mouth made him want to spin Jou around and taste them. He was completely mesmerised by the way that the thin fingers, contrasted against Seto's own pale skin, had somehow managed to instinctually intertwine themselves with his own in a way that only lovers would do; Jou's pointer finger was unintentionally tracing a soft pattern up and down the top of Seto's hand.

What was bothering Seto more than anything was that he was fully aware that he noticed these things now, and that he wasn't making as much of an effort to stop them as he had expected himself to. So when Jou jerked particularly roughly on his hand and his grip loosened, Seto's hand started to slide out of their bonds; instead of pulling his hand free, Seto found himself picking up his pace to keep up with the blonde long enough to slip his hand back into Jou's, who retightened his grip a moment later and continued to storm through the hall as though nothing had happened.

'_I'm losing my mind.'_

'_Yes, yes you are.'_ That dirty other part of his mind answered instantly. _'And you like it. Don't go denying it Kaiba-boy, you can't fool me.'_

"Great, I'm talking to myself now." Seto mumbled quietly, annoyed at what his inner self had just said.

'_You can't fool yourself.'_

"I'm fully aware of that, thanks." The brunette muttered, running his spare hand through his hair.

"So you will tell me when we're near the bathroom then?"

"Huh?"

Seto shook himself mentally and azure eyes snapped upwards to meet the honey gaze of the boy who was now looking back at him questioningly. When Jou saw the confused expression on the taller man's face he abruptly came to a stop and turned around to look at Kaiba face on. Not expecting him to halt so suddenly, Seto took a few steps before bumping into Jou and then, preventing himself from falling over, found that he was-once again-right in the blonde's face. Except this time, Seto wasn't trying to intimidate him and he was too busy getting annoyed that their hands had separated to notice the amused twinkle in Jou's eyes.

"Welcome back." Jou said, a teasing smirk playing his mouth. "Was re-entry difficult?"

"You're making no sense. Again." Seto snapped, stepping back to keep a respectable gap between their bodies. "And don't you _dare_ mention anything about my emotional or mental capacity, or I'll leave you here and you can starve trying to find your way to the front door."

Jou grinned and threw his hands up, clearly beaten at his own game and enjoying every minute of it. "Aw, you guessed. You're no fun."

Ignoring the coy tones that Jou had chosen and the way that he looked at him with those honey eyes, Seto sighed lightly. "It wasn't hard to guess, Jou. You're kind of transparent like that sometimes."

"And what's that supposed to mean, Kaiba?" Jou asked playfully, flicking his head to the side and watching in amusement as Seto's sapphire orbs darted immediately to the flash of gold as Jou's fringe swept away from his face and caught in the light of the morning sun. "Now you're the one not making any sense."

Distracted, Seto found himself with nothing to say in return, no witty retort on the tip of his tongue to spit out in answer to the challenge in Jou's voice. Jou allowed for a few seconds to tick past as Kaiba stood there, a light frown on his handsome face, before he leant over and delicately laid his palm on Kaiba's cheek. Having made no move to stop him, Seto merely stared in wonder at the boldness of the other man, and watched in muted interest as Jou leant forwards.

"You in there, Kaiba?" Jou asked quietly, face merely an inch from Kaiba's and shimmering orbs of gold intently staring into the cerulean eyes of the other. "You're not acting like yourself…something's got you distracted huh?"

"You certainly ask a lot of questions, don't you?" Seto said slowly, finally managing to convince his mouth to speak. He felt, to his shame, a hot blush spreading from where Jou's warm hand was resting on his face. He couldn't believe that the punk actually had the nerve to _touch_ him, let alone speak to him like he wanted to be the best of friends.

'_Or maybe something more, right Kaiba-boy?' _The mocking tones of Kaiba's dirty mind rang softly in his ears, causing Seto to scowl immediately. _'Isn't that what your body has been trying to tell you for the past week?'_

'_I have no idea what you're referring to.' _Seto immediately thought stubbornly.

'_You can't ignore it forever, Kaiba-boy.'_

'_Just watch me.'_

'_Face it. You. Want. More.'_

"Ok, now you're starting to scare me."

Seto blinked and looked down slightly to see that Jou was staring at him with a slightly unnerved expression on his face. He realised a second later that while he had been arguing with himself, Jou had still been watching him. It must have been rather disconcerting for the blonde, seeing the ever-sharp Ice King Seto Kaiba suddenly relapse into a state of daze while his mind did its own thing.

"Do you do that often?" Jou slowly slid his palm off of Seto's cheek, fingers gently tracing a tingling path down the pale jaw line, the brunette trying desperately not to pout in disappointment as he felt the heat of the other man's hand leave him. Standing back, Jou planted both hands on his waist and fixed Seto with an interested gaze. "Zone out, I mean? I've never seen you do it before."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Seto finally regained enough of his senses and drew himself up, looking down at the blonde with a haughty expression. "I've never seen you pay so much attention to me before either. Now you mention it, I never picked you to swing that way."

Frowning at the smirk now curling Kaiba's face, Jou took a few seconds to absorb what Kaiba had said, but it became obvious that he didn't quite understand what the brunette was implying. "Swing what way?"

Enjoying the fact that he still could outsmart Jou even when his mind was in a state of personal mutiny, Seto merely shrugged and allowed a mocking chuckle to slip past his lips. "Try not to think too much about it, puppy. You might hurt yourself."

Immediately forgetting what had confused him a moment before, Jou sighed exasperatedly and threw his hands up, an annoyed glint in his eyes. "Forget it, you're impossible!"

"I thought you'd figured that out a while ago." Seto shifted to his other foot and tilted his head, bangs of chocolate brown falling over his face. He slid his hands into the pockets of his black dress pants and scoffed. "I guess I gave you too much credit for being able to use what little intelligence a mutt like you has at his disposal."

Reddening in anger, Jou spun on his heel and turned to show his back to Kaiba, a loud sound of irritation coming a few seconds later as Jou muttered to himself in annoyance. Seto, trying desperately not to stare at the magnificent mane of shining gold that Jou's long hair had become in the sunlight, crossed his arms and waited for the blonde to turn back around and face him. It seemed that Jou was trying to convince himself not to take the bait for a fight that Kaiba had thrown out, and it seemed to take a lot of effort.

After a few seconds and the noticeable rise and fall of Jou's shoulders as he took a deep, and possibly calming, breath, he turned and faced Kaiba with a forced smile that was becoming more like a grimace every second that he tried to keep it on his face. "Look Kaiba, just show me where this damn bathroom of yours is, ok? Then I can get out of you hair and you can go back to being the lonely bastard that you are."

Mildly impressed with the control Jou was showing with his temper, Seto raised an eyebrow at that last sentence. "Who said I was lonely?"

"Oh please, Kaiba, everyone gets lonely sometimes." Jou said matter-of-factly. "And you live in a huge house with your only family member who's too young to talk to you about adult stuff and a whole bunch of servants who you don't talk to at all. You find it hard enough talking to your own staff, I'm sure, so there's no chance with other people then."

Seto frowned and took a step forward, moving to stand a little closer to the other man. "What do you mean, 'no chance', mutt?"

Jou grinned and bit his lip playfully. "Everyone knows you're an antisocial upper-class billionaire who's probably never had a girlfriend in your life, though it's not for lack of good looks."

Letting a few seconds slide past for dramatic effect, Jou took a breath and then continued, enjoying the astonished look in Seto's eyes. "And then there's the well known fact that every woman and probably quite a few men in Domino would kill to spend a night with you. But you're still lonely. I wonder why?"

While Jou smiled innocently as though he had just mentioned something as mundane as the weather, Seto's mind was racing frantically. He couldn't believe that Jou, for all his idiocies and oddities, seemed to understand a lot more about Seto that the brunette had thought was possible. And not to mention that in all of that little speech, Jou had somehow managed to slip in a compliment about how good-looking he apparently thought Seto was, and also the fact that the CEO had a significant amount of appeal to members of his own gender, of which Jou was obviously a part of.

'_What's he trying to say?'_ Seto found himself asking no-one in particular, slightly ruffled that Jou was standing in front of him quietly, watching the aftermath of his speech as though he had expected Seto to react the way he had and was now enjoying every minute as Seto floundered for something to reply with. _'Why is he acting like this?'_

"You know what, Seto?" Jou suddenly said, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "I bet you're still a virgin, aren't you?"

That got Kaiba's attention. Firstly, Jou addressed him with his first name, but secondly, the blonde had just called Seto's private life into question, something that the brunette had no intention of divulging information about. The boy was up to something, but Seto was damned if he could figure out exactly what the hell it was.

"Why do you care?" the brunette shot out impulsively, not even thinking about what he was saying.

Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Jou shrugged and ran a hand through his knotted hair, toying with a few strands that were particularly unruly. "I don't know, I'm just curious I guess."

"Don't be. It's got nothing to do with you."

"Well excuse me for reading magazines." Jou said amiably, not bothered by the irritated glint in Seto's eyes.

Perplexed, Seto cocked his head and raised an eyebrow in question, not quite sure where the blonde was going with the conversation. "What has magazines got to do with anything?"

A wide and laughing grin immediately spread across Jou's face, as though he had been waiting the entire time for the opportunity to come so that he could say what he was about to say. "Did you know there's this girls magazine that has a monthly update on you, just so all the girls can ogle your pictures in the spreads?"

Now well and truly confused, though not about to show it, Seto huffed and fixed Jou with a bored stare. "Yes, I'm aware of them, so what?"

"Well, there's a monthly debate and poll in this magazine I sometimes get, its all about your sexuality. Did you know that 80 of the people they surveyed a few months back seem to think that you're still a virgin?"

Completely caught by surprise by the random way that Jou had managed to bring up his sexuality into their conversation, Seto stood and fumed for a few moments while Jou merely beamed in glee; he was apparently finding the current situation exceedingly amusing. When Seto didn't say anything, Jou took advantage of his silence and continued, his grin widening with every word.

"And did you know that in this poll they had _last_ month, 47 of Domino thinks that you're gay, 38 say that you're bisexual and only 15 reckon you're straight? I think that's very interesting."

"Is that so."

Seto shut his eyes and felt a thud in his temples, the beginnings of a headache that was a long time coming. Temptation to just surrender his pride, show Jou the bathroom and then go help himself to some medication to ease the beats in his head became overpowering, and Seto took a few seconds to just close his eyes and think slowly, trying to process what was going on.

So Jou read the stupid and nosy magazines that made a show and dance of his life, like he was a celebrity who was worth 5 pages of stories, rumours, pictures and interactive polls without even having to do anything. He knew that there were rumours, there always were, and there was nothing he could do about it.

As long as people had imagination, then there would always be those with conspiracies and theories behind why he didn't seem to date or socialise with women. They didn't understand that he was a busy man, that he hardly had enough time to go out for himself, let alone do it with someone else. They didn't understand that he didn't like to go out and be social because of the uproar that it always caused and the trouble that always seemed to follow him.

Women in themselves were the main reason why he didn't like to go out and be social in the first place; female fans were obsessed to the point of creepy, and being chased and swarmed by a few _dozen_ screaming girls really didn't sound like an appealing prospect to the easily irritated CEO. Men would stalk him and beg for positions in his company, or for him to sign something, or to marry their daughters. The more flamboyant types would try even harder than the females in their attempts to seduce him, going so far as to offer themselves for money if it meant being his property for even a small amount of time.

It was almost unbearable, the trouble being sociable could cause.

Men wanted to beat him in a duel or a fistfight so that they could claim that they had beaten the famous Seto Kaiba, and women wished to bed him as just another notch on their list of conquests. He didn't want or need the overwhelmingly annoying stories from women who he could very easily spend a night out with only for her to sell her tale to the highest bidder the very next morning.

It simply wasn't worth the trouble.

But if he didn't go out, if he avoided the hassle by burying himself in his work and becoming even more successful and powerful in the meantime, then he would be accused of being antisocial, enigmatic and-worst of all-gay. So it was a vicious circle. Either way he went about it, there would always be rumours and he had no power to stop them, only to control them and their influence on his business.

But then, there was the irritating situation he found himself in now. Eventually, he knew, someone would have the courage to ask him why he did what he did, what he preferred and challenge him over the rumours. Knowing how headstrong and brash that the boy standing in front of him has a tendency of being, Seto wasn't entirely surprised that the one person to challenge his sexuality was Jounouchi Katsuya.

In all fairness, there was a lot about Jou that could be questioned as well, especially with his preferences in gender. Grudgingly, Seto acknowledged that Jou was an attractive boy, with intriguing eyes a striking caramel in colour, long windswept golden hair and a slim yet toned body the colour of the lightest toffee. There was no doubt that-if Jou wanted to-he could get the attention of any male or female that he wanted. He just had to make an effort; brush his hair, iron his shirt, smile his engaging smile, flirt and lay on a little of the charm, and they would surely come to him. No problem.

Seto determined that Jou's personality was the main thing about the teen that grated on his nerves, especially the tendency he had to irritate Seto on purpose. Getting into fights had become a natural transition for them; it started off with their eyes meeting, and then a few well chosen and challenging words flowed next, followed by shouts and scuffling when they began to know more about each other and thus became more adept at pissing each other off.

But now, there was none of that aggressive, grating side of Jou's personality present in the young male who was still standing patiently in front of him, grinning stupidly from ear to ear. There was a friendliness, a warmth to Jou that Seto hadn't seen, or rather, hadn't bothered to notice. He was human, he had feelings, and he found Seto worthwhile talking to without wanting to fight. It was so different from their usual interactions that Seto wondered for an instant if Jou was up to something, if he was just pretending to be normal so that he could spring his trap and ambush the business man while his guard was down.

That was another thing that irritated Seto; Jou could sometimes disarm him fairly easily, say something or do something that would completely catch the brunette by surprise and leave him wondering what it was he was doing before the blonde had gotten his attention. There were certainly no boundaries that the teen kept to when he wanted to get someone's attention, whether it be the wink of a blonde lashed eye or the twitch of a coy smile; if Jou wanted you to look at him, then he could and would make it happen.

Looking back, Seto knew that Jou had been toying with him the entire time they had been talking, dropping little hints in conversation and doing the little things he knew Seto noticed deliberately so as to throw him completely off track. The holding of his hand hadn't been necessary, nor had the touching of his face, but Jou had done them regardless and then revelled in the blush that had stolen across Seto's face at his actions.

There was no denying it now. Jou had realised that he could tease Seto without crossing the boundaries of sexuality that society had in place, without needing to call his own sexuality into question or that of Seto's either. He had realised that he could, to a certain extent, manipulate Kaiba and turn him from the dangerous dragon he normally was into a docile and somewhat placid pet, a toy of sorts that Jou could play with without fear of getting burned.

Evidence of the blonde's control over him was everywhere in their conversation; Seto had been given many chances to attack or retaliate in anger like the bad old days, but the way that Jou had said it made him do the opposite; he instead carried along with it, asked questions and allowed Jou to get deep into his personal life.

Admittedly, it wasn't entirely Jou's doing. Seto had allowed him to play his little games, had let Jou take him by the hand, let him lead him to the bathroom, hadn't stepped back when Jou had stepped forwards. He had blushed when Jou had said something to make him blush, had been speechless when Jou had said something to take his voice away.

'_Dammit.'_ Seto knew now that resistance was futile, that by stepping forward to extend his hand in help for Jou's abuse problem that he had become more involved with the blonde that he had ever thought possible. And what was even more disconcerting was that Jou was still patiently standing in front of him, still grinning and still waiting for Seto's reaction to his questions on his sexuality.

"Why are you grinning like that?" Seto asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow at the cheery expression on Jou's face.

"Oh, no reason." Jou said pleasantly, shifting from his damaged ankle to the other foot. "So which are you?"

No longer following what Jou was talking about, Seto sighed and gave Jou an exasperated glare. "Which _what_ am I?"

"You know! Are you gay, bi or straight?" Jou asked casually, as though he was asking what time it was.

Seto went red in the face, half from anger and half from embarrassment. He huffed and pressed his fingers to his temples, massaging them in the hopes of quelling his rising headache. "What's it got to do with you? Why should I even answer?"

"You don't have to if you don't wanna." Jou said with a shrug, pretending not to care. He grimaced at the tightness of his back and the need to have a shower resurfaced, reminding him that they were still lost in the Kaiba Mansion. He noticed Seto's pained expression and took a step forward, slightly concerned but mostly curious. "Hey, what's the matter?"

Seto grunted and opened his eyes, his expression changing to one of surprise as he saw that Jou was once again extremely close to his face, inspecting him carefully. "Nothing."

"Yeah right, I totally believe you. You're a better liar than that, I know it."

Seto rolled his eyes and growled out a reply, trying to resist the urge to strangle Jou in exasperation. "I've got a headache coming on, ok?"

Jou brightened, straightening up and grinning again. "Oh, well I know what will fix that."

Curiosity getting the better of him, Seto swallowed and took his hands away from his face. "What?"

"A shower."

'_YES! Now's our chance, Kaiba-boy!''_

A part of Seto that the brunette was having a hard time fighting with perked up at Jou's suggestion and immediately celebrated the obvious chance to act on the innuendo behind Jou's words. The rest of Seto, however, wasn't so keen on surrender all of his pride and dignity just to satisfy his hormones.

"No." Seto said immediately, his insides doing a twist and blood rushing in his groin as his body agreed with Jou's suggestion.

"What do you mean 'no'? Of course a shower is the perfect thing to relax a tired body and mind! It's always worked for me." Jou said matter-of-factly, hands on his hips and a know-it-all smirk on his lips. His eyes, however, danced with mischief.

"I mean, no, I don't need a shower. I had one this morning." The brunette hurriedly said, not meeting Jou's gaze and therefore not seeing the frisky glint in his toffee eyes.

"Well suit yourself, but I still need one, so how about we get to this bathroom, huh?" Jou asked amiably, smiling in such a way that Seto was sure could melt butter. "Are we very close?"

Seto sighed and took a look around, remembering that they had already walked past the bathroom and would need to double back. He growled in annoyance and fixed Jou with an unreadable gaze. "It's back the way we came."

Jou leaned to the left and looked past Seto's tall figure, back down the corridor, an expression of adorable confusion on his face. "But then, why didn't you tell me it was there when we had passed it?"

Flexing his fingers and clenching them to fists, Seto scowled and reached out, grabbing Jou's hand. "It doesn't matter, so drop it. Let's go already, the sooner I show you where it is the sooner you get out of my hair, right?"

Ignoring the completely shocked look on Jou's face, Seto turned around and stalked off through the corridor, Jou's hand clenched tightly in his own. Trailing behind him and making no effort to wrestle himself free, Jou felt Seto's long fingers slowly tangle themselves in his own until they were holding hands properly, fingers interlocking. Smiling at the blush he could see tinging the edges of Seto's face from his vantage spot behind him, Jou allowed himself to be led through the hall of the Kaiba mansion, back the way they came but with their roles reversed.

It seemed that taking a risk and opening up to the brunette hadn't been a bad decision after all, Jou mused to himself.

'_Not a bad job, even if I do say so myself, Katsuya. He hasn't tried to kill us yet, that's gotta be something. Now let's see if we can get him actually _into_ the bathroom without any casualties.'_

* * *

Ten minutes later, Seto finally drew to a halt and slid his fingers out of their hold with Jou's, immediately shoving his hands in his pockets seconds later. Jou looked at the mahogany door and then up at Kaiba, as if silently asking the obvious question. Seto sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, this is the bathroom. Happy now?" Seto's voice sounded terse, like he was restraining himself from showing any emotion.

Jou grinned and nodded. "Yup. Thanks."

And that was it. Nothing else. Jou simply stood there expectantly, patiently, hands also in pockets and eyebrows raised, as if waiting for Kaiba to do something. Seto took a few moments to frown at the strange predicament he was in, and then finally steeled his nerve and took a step back.

"I'll be going now, then." The brunette turned and made to walk away, but Jou's voice stopped him before he could get very far.

"You know, you should have a shower too." Jou said calmly, nodding towards the door and then sweeping a wave of blonde out of his face. "I already told you, it'll help your headache."

Seto raised an eyebrow almost curiously, wondering what exactly the blonde was getting at. This was getting stranger by the moment, and what was disconcerting Seto the most was that his self-control that had been successful in preventing him from dragging Jou into the bathroom so far was slowly ebbing away, to be replaced with the sick and dirty side of his mind that was chuckling evilly to itself.

'_Now's your chance, Kaiba-boy!'_

Kaiba narrowed his eyes, not liking the train of thought he was in. _'Chance for what?'_

'_Well, isn't it obvious what the man is offering? Use you imagination!' _The filthy minded part of himself proceeded to flash a few of its favourites across his mind; Jou's pretty face, Jou's naked body, Jou in Seto's bed between silken sheets, Jou's warm and wet mouth around his…Seto shook his head at that point and stubbornly refused to acknowledge the awakening heat in his crotch.

'_Not a chance.'_

'_What, afraid you'll like it?'_

Sighing, Seto raised a hand and pressed a few fingers to his temples, rubbing the headache that was spawning there. Opening his eyes, he looked at the other boy in front of him and tried his best to speak in a stern and detached voice.

"I'm going now." He repeated, almost insistently, wondering vaguely why he didn't just ignore Jou like he usually did and just leave with no parting words.

Jou shrugged, watching bemusedly at the slightly out-of-it way that Kaiba was conducting himself. It was unusual to see the CEO acting so _human_, but it was a nice change from the arrogant and cold bastard he had a tendency of being.

"Ok. Bye." Finally showing some mercy and making the first move instead of waiting for Kaiba to get his thoughts together, Jou tightened his grip on the clothes bundled under his arm and reached out with his free hand to grasp at the doorknob.

Twisting and pushing, Jou opened to door slowly to reveal an impeccably clean and shining bathroom, the light from the windows reflecting on the sparkling glass and tiles. Outfitted with a vanity cabinet, mirror, basin, large spa bath and what looked like a two person shower, Jou was amazed by how the room-which was actually not as large as it seemed-appeared to be the perfect place to indulge. Jou didn't know if he wanted a quick shower so he could get out quick and torture Kaiba some more, or figure out how to work the spa bath and spend the rest of his life in a warm and bubbly paradise.

As appealing as the first option sounded, the spa bath option won hands down. _'A bath means I can soak, that's much better for my body isn't it? Yeah…why not?'_ Jou rationed, looking for any excuse to loaf around in a deluxe bath that he would never even get to look at again.

Taking a few steps in, Jou dropped his clothes on the seat next to the door and wandered over to the bath, looking in awe at its vast bottom with bubble jets and posture rests. By the indents in the seating, it looked like it could fit 2 people quite comfortably, but one person could quite happily stretch out and take advantage of its vast generousness. Running a hand over its polished side, Jou's fingers traced over a few raised bumps in the smooth edge, and Jou looked down to see about a dozen different nobs and buttons set into the side, undoubtedly controls for the bath.

But looking at them made Jou realise that he probably couldn't work the damn thing properly, and it was then that a sneaky thought came into his mind. Hopping up quickly and hurrying towards the door, missing a step on his poor ankle, Jou stuck his head out the door to see Seto just about to turn the corner out of sight at the end of the hall.

"Hey Kaiba!" Jou yelled, jumping as his voice echoed splendidly against the empty corridor walls. He saw the aforementioned brunette turn and fix Jou with a glare, but he didn't move any further down the hall. "Come here for a second!"

Kaiba seemed to stand motionless for a few moments, and Jou knew that the man was debating whether he should come back or run for his life back towards his study like he had wanted to do all morning. Still peering around the door, Jou frowned at the lack of movement from Kaiba, and pouted dramatically enough that the brunette could see it from the other side of the spacious corridor.

Heaving a huge sigh, Kaiba turned to face Jou and folded his arms across his chest. If he didn't have more dignity as a member of upper class society, he would have shouted down the corridor asking Jou what the hell he wanted. Instead, trying to pride himself on being more sophisticated than that, Seto rolled his eyes and started walking towards the blonde boy hanging out of the door to his personal bathroom.

Jou grinned and did an internal victory dance, gleeful that he had-by his opinion-got one over on Kaiba again, being able to tell him what to do. He waited patiently at the door until Kaiba's tall figure came skulking into closer quarters and Jou smiled pseudo-innocently.

"What do you want _now_?" Kaiba growled, slowly pacing up to the blonde and then standing at the doorway, peering down at the smiling figure with a look of restrained annoyance on his pale face.

Jou lifted his shoulders in a delicate shrug and the grin on his face widened, causing the crinkles around his attractive eyes to increase to a level that even Seto had trouble defining as anything other than cute.

"Oh, its nothing, I just need your help working that bath."

Seto looked in the direction that the blonde was pointing and saw that indeed, the bath seemed complicated even from a distance; surely Jou couldn't use the thing properly. Seto huffed under his breath.

'_The mutt definitely isn't smart enough for that.'_ He thought, immediately wondering why the pup didn't just surrender to technology and use the shower. Surely turning handles wasn't as hard as using the control panel for the spa-bath.

"Fine, mutt." The brunette snapped finally, ignoring the warning bells that were ringing in his head; his inner self was telling him _not_ to go through the door. "Get out of my way."

With that, the brunette pushed aside the boy standing in the door way and swept into the bathroom, muttering under his breath vulgarities Jou was certain had something to do with him. Allowing himself to be shoved away, Jou tried desperately to wipe the grin off of his face and stepped into the bathroom behind the CEO.

'_Well this isn't too hard, is it?' _Jou thought to himself, a slight tinge of satisfaction in his minds voice. He silently closed the door to the bathroom and stepped up behind the brunette who was now leaning over the edge of the bathtub, fiddling with the buttons on the side of the bath and still cursing to himself.

The loud and echoing noise of gushing water reverberated around the room and Seto Kaiba stood up, haughty and frustrated, but also somewhat pleased, that he had managed to turn on the bath (which he himself actually had never done before) without making an idiot of himself in front of the annoying person he had been spending most of the day with so far.

'_Speaking of Jou, where is he?'_ Seto wondered for a second, his level of aggravation growing. _'He should be watching this so I don't have to come back and show him ever again.'_

Turning around, Seto had to hide his surprise and stop himself from jumping; Jou was _right_ behind him, watching him intently with a small smile on his face that unnerved the older man to abnormal levels.

"Happy?" Seto said hurriedly, trying not to let the awkward silence linger. "Can I go now?"

A second later, the otherwise stoic man grimaced internally, hearing what he had just said. Kaiba's didn't _ask_ if they could leave! They just did, and no one could say otherwise! _'What am I doing?' _Kaiba snapped to himself, thinking it was high time he vacated the presence of the boy who was driving him just a little crazy.

"I'm going." Kaiba repeated roughly, correcting himself.

Jou grinned. "Thanks for your help Kaiba. Couldn't have done it without ya."

"I don't doubt that at all, mutt. I should have figured that a dog like you wouldn't have the smarts to work something as simple as a bathtub." Kaiba huffed, rejoicing on the fleeting glimmer of anger on Jou's face at the comment.

Jou just growled at him and stepped aside, leaving space for the taller boy to walk past. Kaiba took a few steps before dragging his eyes from the glare that Jou had fixed him with and stopped dead in his tracks.

The door was closed.

'_Why is the door closed?!' _Kaiba felt his heart skip a beat. It was obvious. _'Jou closed it behind us. Us…me and him. Just us. In this bathroom.' _

Jou took a few steps up behind the stunned brunette and purred into his ear. "Anything wrong…Seto?"

Kaiba blinked and felt the pound of his headache return. He fixed two long fingers to his temples and sighed.

'_Shit.'_

_

* * *

_

There we go.

_I'm sorry it's taken so long. I have a fiancée now, I've moved out with him, so we are living together in a nice house and I'm doing TAFE…so I've been busy as a BEE!! Ha-ha!_

_Review! It makes me happy! :3_

_Xoxo Kate_


	12. Breaking The Ice With A Hot Bath

_HI HI_

_Watsup? Im gd. Tired. :) but feeling accomplished! 3 yrs later, a new chappie! YAY_

_OK SO EVERYONE KNOWS! Its hard enough me keeping up teehee I am so wrapped up I forget what day this is! Ok so we are now Wednesday middayish, Okies? And Jou is supposed to be leaving on Sunday morning. (That's tree days! Muwahahaha ohh they aint gonna get much sleep I tell ya that much :D bad bad hormonal teenage boys)_

_I suggest you all reread either from the beginning or at least the last chapter or two, so that this flows and makes sense. After such a long gap of time, I can barely remember past chappies myself! _

_Read onnn!_

* * *

**Jounouchi's Prerogative**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

Completely preoccupied with what she was doing, Alice had been caught off guard by the yell that had come from one the floors in the mansion above her. After picking up the silverware she had dropped and pausing in thought for a second, she recognised whom the voice belonged to and smiled. Their houseguest was awake it seemed, somewhere near the recently withdrawn Master of the House, and it didn't sound like they were fighting. In fact, it sounded like their houseguest had just yelled for Kaiba to come over to him, which definitely wouldn't happen if they were arguing anything like they had been recently.

Bustling happily around the kitchen and out into the main hall, humming to herself, she walked into Charles, who was rushing over hurriedly after slipping out from behind a tapestry on the wall.

Alice smiled pleasantly, appearing perfectly unperturbed about the commotion upstairs. She peered with interest at the elaborate artwork that was obviously concealing more than just a wall. "Oh my Charles, I didn't know that there was a passageway there. Nothing gets by you anymore, does it?"

Charles looked at her for a moment, bewildered as to why she was so calm when it was obvious that something was going wrong between Kaiba and their guest. He waved his hand, as if to disregard that strange comment from the conversation and straightened his tie.

"Did you hear that Alice?" he said, a frown now on his lined face. "That was Jounouchi yelling just now, wasn't it?"

"I think so," Alice said calmly, hands clasped formally in front of her apron.

"You don't think they're fighting again, do you?" Charles looked anxiously up the stairway, "We should go stop them before-"

Alice merely chuckled and patted the old butler on the shoulder. "They'll be fine. I've heard them yelling at each other before, and that time it didn't sound like a fight. So…"

Charles blanched, suddenly confused. "So?"

"It's good that they're together and not fighting. Don't you think?"

Alice stood there, bouncing on the balls of her feet, obviously enjoying every second of his exasperation. She crinkled her eyes in a reassuring way and swept off without another word, leaving Charles to stand there with a nonplussed look on his face.

He shook his head at how Alice seemed to be getting way too involved in the whole matchmaking affair that these past few days had turned into. He sighed and disappeared back behind the wall hanging through which he had come from, wondering vaguely if all the nonsense that was standing in the way of a decent relationship between the two a few floors above him would ever end.

When it appeared that no more yelling was to follow the initial outburst, the staff of Kaiba Manor resumed daily life as though nothing had happened, bustling about with their chores and determined, with fierce encouragement from their Heads, not to get involved with the Master if they could help it. It became a point of interest to avoid the third floor, especially around Room 12, as if their life depended on it.

The only person who was determined to get there was Mokuba Kaiba, who stubbornly wanted to see Jou now that he knew for certain that he was awake; as he was trying exasperatedly to explain to the maid's who had caught him sneaking up the second floor's staircase. He was making quite a show of it too, switching between angry to bossy, to crying and back to angry again, trying to find the mood and tone of voice that would convince them to let him pass.

When it became painfully obvious that they were under strict orders not to let anyone interfere and that there was nothing he could do to convince them, he gave his brother's trademark withering glare (to the maid's horror) and hurried off, bee-lining straight for the woman he knew had ordered the ban on the 3rd floor.

Banging through the kitchen doors, Mokuba was stunned to see that the Head Maid was not in her usual spot, next to the sink doing the umpteenth load of dishes. He walked through and searched quickly, making sure that she wasn't hiding from him in a cupboard or the pantry (though this was only a possibility in his imagination) and, stumped as to where to look for her next, left with a dejected expression and hands shoved in his pockets.

As the door to the kitchen swung slowly and finally came to a close, Alice slid quietly from behind the tapestry on the opposite wall that Charles had been using so often recently, and padded gently back to the kitchen. Checking behind her-the young Kaiba had a nasty habit of surprise attacks-she entered and left the swinging door tilted slightly ajar. Sighing when she saw the pile of dishes waiting to be washed, Alice rolled up her sleeves and started to fill the sink, desperately trying to fight the guilty feeling welling in her chest.

"I'm sorry Mokuba; it's for the best, I promise." She mumbled to herself.

She hoped that the boy wouldn't be too upset that he wasn't allowed to visit his friend, and Alice felt pangs of remorse that she was intentionally keeping him from Jou. But the moment was wrong, and if the Master of the House and his blonde guest weren't at loggerheads then any time they had together to bond and perhaps establish a friendship was precious time indeed. Alice, so keen on the prospect of Seto Kaiba actually having a friend, was willing to push her maternal instinct to spoil one Kaiba brother aside for the benefit of the other.

They would thank her for it, eventually. Or so she hoped.

* * *

Seto Kaiba was in hell. A shining, spotless room full of porcelain and glass, the picture of clean, crisp elegance. Trapped here, with a thumping headache and the burning sensation of a pair of golden eyes watching him carefully, Seto took a deep breath and willed his heart to slow from its frantic beating and return from his throat to its proper place.

Hell on earth turned out to be a bathroom, Kaiba was a man who had a mind full of sin and Jounouchi Katsuya-Seto grimaced at the thought-was the Devil himself.

Kaiba cursed himself for his foolishness and the predicament he had gotten himself into-he had ignored his razor sharp instincts for the first time in recorded history when they had told him not to enter the bathroom. Now he faced the back of the heavy mahogany door to his personal bathroom-which was undoubtedly locked-with the sound of rushing water filling his ears and an audacious aura of mischievousness emanating from behind him.

'_Damn. I can't believe I fell for that.'_ Kaiba growled agitatedly, stopping immediately when he was struck with the thought that growling was a very Katsuya thing to do. _'Stupid mutt. What the fuck does he think he's trying to pull? He's gonna cop it now-I've had enough of him messing with my head.'_

'_Admit it Kaiba-boy-you're not THAT unhappy about being locked in a bathroom with a pretty blonde, are you?'_

Sighing, the brunette ignored the little voice in the back of his mind that was rejoicing at the possibilities that the situation posed, swatting it aside with annoyance. _'Quiet you. I'm not interested in him like that!'_

'_Really? I bet you'll change your mind when he starts getting undressed and bends over to take his shoes off. Go on...take a peek...'_

Kaiba immediately had thoughts of Jounouchi's perfect little bottom, and his hands flexed in his pockets unintentionally. He fought down a blush, realising that if he didn't leave soon, he would be in the same room as the blonde as he undressed and immersed himself sensually in steaming water and swirling bubbles. The blush deepened and his heart began to pound in his ears at the very thought. The need to escape from the awkward scenario increased, but Kaiba felt his body rigidly refusing to move.

'_Don't look back, don't look back-just walk forward, open the door, and leave.'_ Seto started berating himself, steeling his nerves. _'This is YOUR house, be a man and take control!'_

The sound of splashing startled him out of his mental reprimanding, and, as though in a daze, Kaiba automatically turned to the exact view he had been hoping to avoid. Jou was bending over the rim of the bath, splashing the rushing water with his left hand, the right one gripping the edge for support. His slippers had already been tossed aside, and Kaiba could see that the edge of his button-up shirt was waving to the side, open and (Kaiba swallowed involuntarily) soon to be removed. The CEO blinked, and thanked his lucky stars that the other man was still wearing pants, though a part of him was already envisioning him without them.

Jou turned and, wiping his wet hand on his open top, straightened up to see that the other man had finally turned around to face him. He'd gotten bored of watching the brunettes back, amusing as it was to bask in his obvious discomfort, and had started to play with the flowing water. It was a nice hot temperature, pleasing to the touch, and the bubble bath mixture smelled of berries and frothed in attractive swirling patterns.

Jou fought down an incredible surge of jealousy, never having been close to a bathtub of this extravagance before. He probably never would in his lifetime again, and he smothered his anger at the justice of the world that a cold loner like Kaiba could have such luxury while Jou and most other normal people would have to settle for a lot less, if any at all.

"How do you make it stop?" Jou motioned to the rim of the bathtub at the panel of buttons. The tub was almost three quarters full and now seemed as good a time as any to snap Kaiba out of the trance he was in.

Blue eyes, looking strangely dark with emotion in the bright lights, flitted quickly from the bathtub to the blonde in front of it and, as hard as Kaiba tried, he couldn't stop himself from peeking at the sliver of light tan skin between the open shirt. He swallowed and focused on Jou's face.

"It will stop by itself when the sensors tell it that it's full." Kaiba said monotonously, trying adamantly not to give away the turmoil he felt inside.

"Oh. Ok."

Jou flashed a fleeting smile and turned around to face the bath, his back to Kaiba once more. Shaking his head, Kaiba could have sworn that the simple smile had become a devious smirk as Jou turned away, but he had been too preoccupied to notice.

A moment passed and suddenly, as if the decision had been made, Jou began to undress. Seto had to stop himself from making a noise as Jou reached up and slowly-almost in slow motion to Kaiba-shouldered off his shirt. He threw it to the side on the floor next to his slip-on shoes, and Kaiba felt something give way inside him as the sound of Jou's belt buckle being undone permeated the noise of rushing water.

Suddenly the moment became very real, and Kaiba's brain clicked into overdrive. Jou wasn't simply playing with him. His suggestive hints, mind-games and gradual manipulation of Kaiba leading up to being shut in the room with him hadn't simply been for fun, or some obscure and nonexistent reason. Jou was undressing and getting into a bath, something that he had clearly suggested that Kaiba also do. Jou had made sure that he and Kaiba were alone in the bathroom, closing the door behind them and not making any sudden or aggressive moves to spike Kaiba's vigilant temper. Jou hadn't asked him to leave, or do anything at all in fact, leaving Kaiba to deal with the situation however he pleased. He wasn't waiting for Kaiba to decide either, going ahead with his own business as though it mattered little to him if Kaiba saw him naked or not, if he stayed or bolted like the brunette so desperately wanted to.

The bewildered young man could only reach one plausible conclusion. Moreover, he wasn't as horrified with the idea as he would have thought; there were no outrageous objections from his common sense, his instincts or his hormonal body. Jou wanted him to join him in the bath, and it didn't seem like _that_ bad an idea.

There was a clink of metal hitting metal and Kaiba watched, entranced now, as the leather belt slid past Jou's hips, slowly sliding through the loops until it was entirely free and there another clunking noise as the belt hit the floor. Loosened, the pants fell a little further down thin hips, exposing a tantalising brim of black, cloth boxers. Kaiba breathed in suddenly as Jou's arms suggestively moved to his front, and there was a long second as the button was undone and then Kaiba heard the unmistakable sound of a fly being unzipped.

"Stop."

Jou grinned in victory and obeyed, having undressed slowly and laboriously, waiting for the flustered man behind him to say something. He had thought that the belt would have done it, his pants now sitting on his hips quite low, but when the silence stayed, he had moved to the next step, the smirk on his mouth widening as he heard the sharp inhalation behind him.

He wiped his face clean of any teasing emotions and turned to face Kaiba again, hands at his side. Side on, with his dusky light brown skin, thinly muscled with a few fresh and old scars, pants undone and practically falling off now, Jou looked sinfully good and Kaiba had a hard time remembering what he was meant to be saying now he had the blondes attention. He opened his mouth to speak and then shut it again as Jou slowly, tantalisingly, moved a hand to his chest and rubbed in-between his pecks, as though scratching an itch.

"What's the matter, Kaiba?" Jou's honey eyes danced and a small coy smile curled his soft lips; he showed no inclination that he felt uncomfortable being partially naked in front of another man-in fact, if Kaiba didn't know any better he would have thought that Jou was actually enjoying the attention. Kaiba was blatantly ignoring the bruises and darkly reddened injuries on the shorter teens torso, instead preoccupying himself with appreciating Jou's toned physique.

"You're serious, then."

It wasn't a question. Jou raised an eyebrow and eyed Kaiba with more interest, now intrigued by what he was implying. There was a slight blush on Kaiba's porcelain cheeks and Jou felt a slight twist of pride, as that was more than some of the girls at their high school could get out of the Ice King at the best of times and they had tried _everything_.

Kaiba looked at Jou with deep, stormy crystalline eyes, and Jou felt his gaze drawn to Kaiba's thin mouth as he spoke. "You honestly expect me to stay in here while you have a bath?"

Jou shrugged placidly, no longer smiling. "I'm not going to stop you if you want to leave. But I stand by what I said before-havin' a bath will help with your headache."

There was a sudden chugging noise as the final surge of water came out of the tap and then there was silence, except for the pounding of Kaiba's heart in his ears. The glass mirror and sides of the shower in the corner of the room had fogged up, and the smell of bubble bath wafted pleasantly through the air. The spa looked magnificent completely full and Jou totally forgot about Kaiba for a moment, making a noise in admiration and splashing a hand through the bubbles.

It was now or never-Jou really wanted to get in, his lungs, back and ankle aching dully, but he knew that taking his pants and underwear off and doing a cannonball at that exact moment might just be the final straw and the CEO would snap like a twig. So he fixed his gaze with Kaiba's and smiled calmly.

"Looks good doesn't it?"

Kaiba grunted noncommittally. "I've seen it before. It's a bath."

Jou smirked at Kaiba's defensiveness, making sure to keep his voice low and even so as not to agitate him.

"I'm thinking I'll get in now..." He trailed off, hoping that the other man would get the hint without having to have it spelled out to him.

Kaiba stared, and when Jou rose an eyebrow there was a sudden spark of realisation on the brunette's face.

"Oh."

Jou watched, amazed now, as the all-powerful, ever composed stone-cold business tyrant Seto Kaiba was struck speechless and blushed like a schoolgirl.

Deciding to push his luck even further, Jou slowly-all the while keeping an eye on Kaiba's face-unzipped the rest of his fly and gently slid his fingers down his hip bones in the motion of taking his pants off.

There was a rushing sound of motion and suddenly Kaiba was next to him, hands firmly gripping his wrists to stop any further movement. Startled, Jou looked up to see that Kaiba head was bowed slightly, avoiding being looked at in the face. After a few moments when it seemed that there was no yelling or arguing to be done, Jou twisted his wrist and slid a hand out of Kaiba's loose grip. Still not meeting eye contact, Jou tilted his head to the side in thought.

'_What is he doing?'_ He wondered faintly, taking in the subtle smell of Kaiba's hair and aftershave. _'He's just standing there. Is he coming in or not? I could always just...'_

Reaching up with his free hand, Jou gently took hold of the collar of Kaiba's brown jacket and slid the shoulder off, ignoring the wide-eyed stare that he was getting from the taller, furiously blushing teen. He pulled the jacket away from thin shoulders, and then without moving his other hand, shelled the other side as well. He shifted his other hand out of Kaiba's and, leaning tantalising forward and still ignoring the sapphire eyes boring into his face, pulled the sleaves off the long arms with both hands and threw the jacket to the side.

Kaiba straightened up and, licking his lips and swallowing noticeably, fixed Jou with what was obviously a lustful stare. Now centimetres away from each other, Seto couldn't ignore what the blonde did to him, physically, mentally and emotionally.

'_Would it be so bad?'_

There was no obligation to do anything, it was just a bath-nothing perverted about it at all. Taking a deep breath, he rationalised that if he didn't like what Jou tried to pull or how things seemed to be going, he could always simply get out of the bath and leave. In fact, if he thought about it that way, there was no harm in what they were doing in the slightest. It was simply innocent. Absolutely, platonically innocent. No sexual interest whatsoever. None. At all.

'_Who am I kidding?' _Seto hit himself mentally. Jou had turned his head away now, watching the steam emanating from the bath with false interest. _'What the hell, it's just a damn bath.'_

In one swift, efficient movement, Kaiba removed his shirt and threw it to the growing pile, suddenly feeling self-conscious and bare. Jou's eyes flicked back and he unabashedly stared at Kaiba's exposed body, eyes roving over subtle musculature, pale snowy skin and the dark line of hair that started at his navel and disappeared below his waistline.

It was Jou's turn to blush now that it became evident that the fellow teen had finally decide to join the bath, and his cheeks burned when he looked down and realised that now came the part where Kaiba's belt would be removed, and then their pants, and then maybe even their underwear...

Jou felt his mouth grow dry and he flicked his eyes up to see that Kaiba was watching him closely, and seemed to have moved closer. His thin, curved lips were wet, as though he had just licked them, and Jou felt the irresistible urge to kiss him. It seemed like a good idea as they stood in a beautiful bathroom, surrounded by swirling steam, shirtless, shy and blushing-Jou closed his eyes and leaned forwards, lips pouting slightly, ready for what he knew now was inevitable contact.

Kaiba watched as Jou glanced over his exposed body and then up to his face, slowing to stare especially at his lips, all the while marvelling at those lovely honey brown eyes and long dusky blonde eyelashes. When they slid shut and the younger man bent forwards, Seto had already begun to lean down to meet him. His eyes slid shut as soft lips grazed slowly past his own, and he felt his heart flutter in his throat. Jou had to angle his head upwards-Seto was at least a foot taller-and by the time their lips met, Jou had mostly the bottom lip in between his. He pressed on it with his mouth and Kaiba felt teeth gingerly pressing down, and the most ridiculous thought passed through his head.

'_Jounouchi Katsuya is nibbling on my bottom lip.'_

Kaiba scoffed mentally, vaguely amused that there was no snide remark he could come up with at that exact moment. Preoccupied with current events, his mind had completely vacated, free of the usual chaos that he had to keep at the foreground. There were no business deals, propositions or agreements, no meetings, no school, no study or homework. There was no Domino, or the Kaiba mansion; no Mokuba, no Alice, no Charles-nothing outside the room that they were in and the distractingly good-looking individual in front of him, who was currently suckling on his bottom lip.

His hands ached to reach out and touch, to grab Jou by the waist or wind long arms around his back, but a part of Kaiba told him that the moment was good the way it was, and he daren't risk having to stop kissing Jou just for a petty touch. Seeming to read his mind, Jou took that final step forward, closing the gap completely; Kaiba was struck by how warm and soft Jou was to the touch, their chests now slightly brushing. Taking the hint, Kaiba raised a hand slowly and gingerly laid it on Jou's waist, making a muffled noise and taking advantage of the breath Jou took to slip his tongue past open lips.

Jou reciprocated with his own tongue enthusiastically now, tilting his head to the side and opening his mouth fully, granting complete access to its invader. Kaiba grunted as hands rested firmly on his upper chest, and slung his other arm around Jou's shoulder in return. They stayed that way, kissing gently yet fiercely, adventuring and testing their dominance over the other until Jou broke the kiss with a startling blush on his cheeks and lips bruised and swollen. He took a deep breath and looked wistfully at the spa bath.

Reading his mind, Kaiba smirked down at the shorter teen in his arms and his pouting expression. "Shall we get in?"

Jou looked back up at him and then back down, as though thinking frantically. He took a step back, breaking contact with Kaiba, and the brunette couldn't help but feel despondent for the loss of heated skin against his own. It seemed that the previously confident and scheming young blonde had become aware of the situation to its fullest and was swiftly deciding his next course of action.

It was Kaiba's turn to be impatient now as Jou thought frantically about the situation, bottom lip held between his teeth distractedly. Smirking slightly, Kaiba decided to help force Jou's hand a little bit, not feeling the slightest bit guilty about it considering how badly Jou had been torturing him lately.

He reached down and imitated the slow, deliberate motions that Jou had done moments before, unbuckling his belt with a loud clinking sound and pulling it slowly from the hoops of his pants. Jou's eyes snapped to his waist, wide and staring, following the belt as it left the tall brunette and was dropped to the floor. Jou blinked and looked up at Kaiba, a light sneer on his face.

"Smartass." he said deeply, hands on his hips and chin raised haughtily.

Kaiba grinned with one side of his mouth and swept Jou into his arms. Jou made no resistance but still made a noise of surprise as Kaiba gripped him firmly and pressed their bodies together. Jou felt his hands trail down his back and his heart skipped as long fingers slid past the rim of his pants.

"These need to come off" Kaiba said darkly, his eyes on Jou's stormy with obvious desire. "Don't you think?"

"Mmmm…" Jou mumbled; his brain was uninterested in forming words at that exact moment, preoccupied instead with the creamy skin of Kaiba's delicate neck at his eye level. How badly he wanted to nuzzle and bite it-but he resisted; if he bit Kaiba, he'd never live it down.

Kaiba's warm breath tickled Jou's face, making his long fringe flutter on his cheeks and he crinkled his nose. Kaiba crumbled inside, Jou's facial expression cuter than he could have imagined, and he swiftly bent down and stole a firm, moist kiss from soft lips. Jou blushed now, and tried to focus on anything other than the feeling of Kaiba's hot hands, which were stealthily edging further down into his pants.

He bent his head and looked up at the taller man, and their eyes met. Jou felt a burning heat of need welling in his stomach, and he prayed that if his pants did come off, his boxers would at least partially hide his growing excitement. Finally, Kaiba's hand reached their destination, firmly grasping Jou's bottom with both palms. Kaiba felt a twinge of satisfaction that he had the chance to grope Jou's fine butt again, having been obsessing over the last time frequently in the last few days and wishing for more.

Jou blushed deeper as he felt the pressure on his rear increase, Kaiba's long fingers massaging the flesh gently, and Jou caved in; as Kaiba pressed his body to him, Jou leaned up and they met again, open mouthed and needy. There was no delicacy this time, as Kaiba felt the self-control vacating the more he held the blonde to his burning body, Jou's hands gripping his sides in near desperation.

They kissed fervently for a few moments until, suddenly and before Jou could react, Kaiba bent and pulled Jou's pants down to his knees with his hands, immediately bringing them to rest on Jou's hips a moment after.

Jou broke the kiss, gold eyes wide with shock, and he shivered involuntarily with the sudden feeling of nakedness that washed over him. Kaiba grinned-Jou was too shocked to notice how un-Kaiba-like that action was-and looked Jou over with lustful eyes. A second passed and Jou didn't protest, so Kaiba did what he thought was the obvious next step. He moved backwards a step, Jou watching attentively, and slowly pulled his pants down off his thin hips and allowed them to sink slowly off his lanky frame to the floor. He stepped out and kicked them to the side, then looked pointedly at Jou and then at his pants. Jou, his cheeks an attractive shade of dark pink, licked his lips and imitated, kicking his pants to the growing pile of discarded clothes.

There was a splashing noise and both young men looked to see that the still steaming bath was beginning to lose bubbles, watching as they were popping and melting into the swirling water. Jou leant over and dipped a hand in, obviously hoping it hadn't cooled down too much. Satisfied, he withdrew his hand and wiped it unconsciously on his boxers, drawing Kaiba's line of sight from his face to his waist. Seeing what Jou had hoped he wouldn't, Kaiba smirked devilishly and felt a twinge of pride in his apparent seductive talents.

It seemed as much as Jou could disarm him and run mental circles a round him by smiling a perfect smile that crinkled beautiful eyes, all Kaiba would have to do in revenge was torture Jou by taking advantage of his physical susceptibility to his charms.

Kaiba breathed deeply and ran a hand through his hair, wondering if Jou would get into the bath voluntarily or if Kaiba would have to practically throw him in. He had already decided that to save either of them any embarrassment, the boxers would stay on at least until after they had fully submerged. He thanked his lucky stars that Jou hadn't thought to look Kaiba properly up and down, or his own arousal would have been easily noticeable.

Jou looked at the bath, watching the steam and bubbles with faint interest, his thumping heart and hot body distracting him from any coherent thoughts. He saw out of the corner of his eye as Kaiba reached for his head but he feigned ignorance, instead debating fiercely whether to move on to taking off their boxers or to get into the bath now.

As if to read his mind and save him from the agonizing choice, Kaiba took a step, lifted a long, thinly muscled leg and dipped it into the water. Pleased with the temperature, he took a foothold, stepped again, and put the other leg in, sinking a moment later into the bath, boxers and all. He slid to one of the corners of the bath and sat in what must have been a built-in seat, now looking at Jou with a teasing smirk clear on his usually expressionless face.

Jou stared. "Your still wearing your boxers!" he spluttered out suddenly, realising that now it was up to him to make the next move and join Kaiba in the tub. This was not going to plan.

Kaiba shrugged. "You going to get in or not?" He lifted his hands and let the water splatter tantalising down his arms; his smirk widened as Jou blanched. "My puppy's not _chicken_,is he?"

Cursing him silently and ignoring the puppy reference, Jou sighed, throwing his hands to the sides in mock-surrender. He hoisted himself to the edge and put his good leg in, testing the bottom for grip. Feeling his weak ankle protest on having to support his whole weight, he shifted and slid in one movement into the heated waters opposite Kaiba.

The insufferable gloating grin on Kaiba's face remained, and he watched as Jou acclimatised to the wet warmth of the bath and splashed around, getting comfortable in the indented seat he had slipped into. His face lightened as he began to enjoy himself, and he sighed in relief, his head falling gently back to the small headrest behind him. Kaiba's eyes roved over lightly tanned skin, Jou's neck and shoulders visible above the dwindling bubbles.

Suddenly, Jou coughed-it would have been of no concern as it was only small at first, but even over the popping and sloshing of water Kaiba could hear the congestion behind it. Jou put a hand to his mouth as the cough worsened, and bent over in the effort to stifle it. He wheezed as it passed and Kaiba eyed his heaving frame with concern.

"Have you been taking your medication, Jou?"

Immediately Jou looked up, wiping his mouth and taking deep, steadying breaths to regain control of himself. He cleared his throat and glared at Kaiba indignantly. "Of course I have! I've just not had anything like this before, but I'm dealing with it just fine, thanks."

Kaiba raised his hands. "No need to get defensive, puppy. Just sounds nasty, that's all."

"Yeah, thanks" Jou snapped, looking down and focusing on the pile of bubbles under his chin.

Kaiba sighed, ignoring the faint irritation he felt at the blonde's obsession with independence. "I just don't want you passing out on me or anything like that-"

"I'm not going to pass out, it's not that bad! Seriously-" Jou snapped again, frowning. Kaiba gave him a silencing glare and when Jou fell quiet, he continued.

"-I'm not explaining to anyone how we got into this situation, no matter what." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I might just let you drown rather that have to tell Alice why we're bathing together."

Jou opened his mouth to say something, but the glint in Kaiba's eyes stopped him from going into a rant; instead, he huffed and crossed his arms. Kaiba grinned; impressed with the self-control Jou was displaying, he slid over to sit in front of Jou, tantalisingly close but just out of reach.

"Of course, there is the alterative."

Jou frowned slightly in question, and Kaiba narrowed his eyes deviously and smiled in a way that made Jou blush to his core.

Jou bit his lip, curious. "Like what?"

Kaiba bent closer, his nose brushing Jou's, and muttered sensually against his lips, "…like mouth to mouth…"

Jou let out a muffled moan as Kaiba's hot breath gently tickled his face and he lent forward, unable to resist. They met again, Kaiba's noise of surprise changing quickly to a groan of passion as Jou pushed into the kiss, demanding more, and they fell, entwined together, in the slippery wet confines of the bath.

* * *

Mokuba stormed through the halls of the Kaiba mansion, pouting and muttering to himself in frustration. He'd had enough of being treated like a little kid, not being allowed to visit one of his own friends in his own house. Mokuba turned a corner and swept past a maid who was polishing a mahogany cabinet to the side of the hall, and she scuttled out of his way as he passed.

Though he was young and technically not related to the elder Kaiba biologically, they were remarkably similar-kindred spirits enough to be considered blood by all those around them-and this had become especially apparent the older that Mokuba became. He was less temperamental than his brother was, still soft and cuddly like most children his age and susceptible to tantrums and mood swings that indicated his naivety. Nevertheless, he was well aware of his surroundings and had a sharp attention to detail that he undoubtedly shared with Seto, his temper not nearly as venomous but still something to be feared at full strength.

This was why the maid bolted from his sight as he went past-it was well known to the staff that Mokuba had spent almost all of his time since Jou's arrival trying to see him and he had been unsuccessful. Surely, he must be close to snapping, and the expression on his face indicated that hiding had been the correct decision.

At first there was good reason for Jou's quarantine-the young man was sick, bedridden and in no condition for visitors. Mokuba had bent to the will of the doctor, willing to wait patiently to see Jou until he was fit for company.

Then his stupid brother-Mokuba huffed at Seto's brilliance in some areas and absolute idiocy in others-had gone and broken the rule, visiting Jou even though he knew not to alarm him or exacerbate his condition.

But that was two days ago now, and Mokuba's patience was waning. He knew now that Jou was awake and out of his room-he'd heard that shout, as had the rest of the mansion's occupants-and knew it came from the third floor. He also knew that his brother was in the area and Mokuba was damned if he'd let himself get pushed around. If his brother could see Jou, why couldn't he?

He stalked through the clean, elegant halls of Kaiba mansion and thought desperately, scheming with all his might, as to how he could sneak a floor above to get to his forbidden destination. He knew that now that it was after lunch, the change of staff would be happening soon-if he took advantage of it, he might be able to slip past the newer staff unchallenged.

He shook his head, black mane of hair shaking; he knew that Charles was around somewhere, using the labyrinthine passages and secret stairwells winding through the mansion to monitor the goings-on of the house. To be able to pull a swift one on him would be tough, Mokuba admitted to himself, stumped.

"..Unless…" Mokuba stopped, and a look of devilish glee spread over his face. His brain ticked into overdrive and as he formed devious plans in his head-each more outrageous than the next (some involving robots and zombies; he'd been up late at night watching the Sci-Fi channel)-he was struck by a stroke of genius only a Kaiba would think of.

Snapping out his momentary shock at his own brilliance, he started shuffling stealthily towards the kitchens, looking furtively behind him. He knew that there was an entrance to the Servants passages there somewhere-how else did they get around so fast, turning up between the floors like ghosts? He grinned in triumph and bolted helter-skelter down the hallway, unable to contain his glee.

He was going to see Jou this time, and he was certain that no one would be able to stop him.

* * *

_:) well wow. Pls don't hurt meeee I know its been a while since I updated, but life is annoying. BAH. Ahahaha I love Mokuba-little champ. And Kaiba! Phew, he's a minx ;) _

_Okies so pls review! I wanna know if I still have love for this story-thers no point me updating if no one reads it nemore!_

_Kk :D ohh iv got great ideas, im pretty sure that the nxt chapter will be something out of a porno-I love me some spa-bath sex 3_

_Muwahahaha _

_Love Kate xo_


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